Lost and Found
by Axelrocks
Summary: Nine days lost in the woods and Daryl never thought that his savior would come as Carol, an eleven year old girl with curly auburn hair and large blue eyes. This girl with a stuffed animal and wide smile, led him to civilization and became his best friend. Twenty-eight years later and he might have found her again. Slightly AU from season one and on. Caryl.
1. Chapter 1

**This was meant to be just a oneshot, but as I wrote it got longer and longer. Now, it's going to be made up of several parts. As of right now, I have two and a half chapters written. I plan on updating every other day or two, if everything goes as plan. I'm actually pretty nervous posting this and I'm hoping some of you like it! :)**

* * *

**Chapter One**

_**June 18th 1982**_

At the ripe age of eleven, Carol Reed decided she would be the next Christopher Columbus. There were new worlds out there to be discovered and, shoot it all, she'd discover them! So, after practically tearing apart her closet, Carol found her Strawberry Shortcake back pack and went to the kitchen to stuff it with enough snacks to last her a few days.

Carol's parents were both at work and when they returned, would most likely head straight to bed. They wouldn't notice her absence for a while. Normally, that would bother her, seeing as she was only eleven and strived for her parent's attention, but, now, she was using their absence to her advantage.

After all, out there Caroltopia was waiting to be discovered.

Zipping up her boots and slipping on her mother's old cargo jacket, Carol hoped she looked every bit the part of a famous explorer. People would write books about her and the adventures she'd go on and the lands she'd discover.

Taking a deep breath, Carol pushed open the screen door that led to the backyard and froze. How could she have forgotten? Racing back to her room, she grabbed a ratty, stuffed rabbit from it's spot on her pillows. She couldn't go anywhere without Mr. Snuggles by her side.

* * *

Daryl Dixon knew he was going to die out in these woods. It was day nine of being lost and there hadn't been a single sight of civilization. He was hungry, thirsty and tired. The night before, he had to sleep in a tree and was so scared of falling out, that he had barely got any sleep.

The only weapon he had on him was a knife he had stolen from Merle's room and that didn't do shit when hunting for game. Daryl had tried to snag an unsuspecting squirrel with the knife and had even gotten close enough to touch its bushy tail, but then he blinked and the little fucker was gone. Since then, he had resorted to eating berries which didn't help curb the hunger.

_ Damn you, Merle, for goin' to juvie, again and leavin' me with pa._

Fred Dixon was a bastard and held a particular hatred for his youngest son, even though Daryl was only nine years old and hadn't done anything to earn the hate. Nine days prior, Daryl had barely missed getting hit by a beer bottle aimed at his head and that's when he decided that he wasn't going to live there anymore and took off towards the woods. Luckily, his father had been too drunk to get off his ass and chase him down.

Everything had happened so fast that Daryl hadn't had the chance to grab any of his things or food. Now, he was on his own and was most likely going to die of starvation before he saw another human being, again.

* * *

Carol grumbled when she had to detangle another twig from her auburn curls. She'd been walking in the woods for an hour, now, and was starting to get blisters on her feet. Maybe this explorer thing wasn't everything she thought it'd be.

Stopping to sit on a fallen log, Carol hissed as she tugged of the boots and saw two patches of red on her socks where blood had soaked through them. Maybe it was time to head back home and read a book or watch a movie. Maybe she could pop in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ and pretend she was right there with Indiana Jones being awesome. The more she thought of it, the more it appealed to her. Perhaps in a few years, she'd try this whole exploring thing, again. Gingerly, she pulled the boots back on and stood up. But where exactly _was _home? Every single tree looked the same and she had no idea where she had came from.

"Great," she mumbled to herself and pulled Mr. Snuggles closer. "We're lost."

* * *

Daryl whipped out his knife when he began to hear footsteps. With putting his complete focus on surviving alone, he didn't once think about the possibility of crazy, axe murderers that called the woods their home. What if that was one coming up on him and make him his next victim? Oh hell no! He may have been stupid to run into the woods without a plan, but there was no way some crazy guy was going to kill him.

Raising the knife up higher, Daryl was prepared to strike as the footsteps continued to get closer. But instead of some hooded psycho crashing through the bushes, it was a girl. A girl with curly, auburn hair that held various sticks and leaves in it and who also held what looked like a stuffed rabbit close to her chest.

She looked up at him with the prettiest blue eyes he had ever seen and when she saw the knife in his hands, she squeaked, took a stumbling step backwards and fell on her butt. "P-Please, don't stab me!" Using the stuffed rabbit as a shield, the girl whimpered.

Instantly, Daryl was reminded of all the times he cowered before his pa and dropped the knife to the dirt. "Sorry," he quickly apologized and before he knew it, he was reaching down to help her up. Usually, he avoided contact like the plague. For being only nine years old, Daryl knew that was a bad thing but the only human contact he had in his life always brought him pain.

The girl shakily took his hand and stood up. "Thank you." Daryl saw that she was only slightly taller than him.

"Sorry about the whole knife thing," he apologized, again. "Thought you was an axe murderer."

The girl laughed, not unkindly. "I don't think there's any axe murderers out here." Then, her eyes grew wide with fear. "At least, I hope not." She hugged the rabbit closer.

"Are you lost?" Daryl bent down and picked up the knife, wiping off the dirt before putting it back on his belt.

"Yeah," the girl said. "You?"

"Yep," he answered and puffed up his chest. The girl was pretty and Merle had always told him to try and impress any pretty girl he saw. "I've been out here on my own for nine days."

"Wow, really?" The girl looked very impressed and Daryl was pleased with himself. If Merle were here, he was sure he'd be proud.

"Yep. The only weapon I have is this knife." He patted the knife at his belt.

"I didn't think to bring anything with me," the girl, mused. "But I do have food, if you're hungry." Smiling, the girl unslung the pink bag from her bag and unzipped the top.

Daryl's stomach growled loudly at the sight of crackers and other snack foods stuffed inside the bag. The berries he had managed to find earlier hadn't done anything for his stomach.

The girl smiled, having heard his stomach and held out a handful of wrapped snacks. "Here, I have plenty." The smile didn't waver when he snatched the treats and immediately set on unwrapping them. "The name's Carol, by the way."

"Daryl," he said around a mouthful of crackers.

Carol settled in front of him, crossed her legs, and took a bite from a granola bar. "Maybe after we're done eating," she said after swallowing a bit. "We can help each other find our way home? I'm sick of being Christopher Columbus."

"Who's Christopher Columbus?" Daryl asked and reached for a second package of crackers.

" 'In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue'. You don't know that?"

Daryl felt his face heat up. He had just finished the third grade and would be in fourth grade in September, but he never really paid much attention in class. The teacher had thought him stupid and never called on him, so he'd just spent his time willing the minute hand on the clock to move faster so he could go home.

"Oh, that's right," Carol said and Daryl waited to hear the dreaded words, 'You're just a stupid hillbilly', but they never came. "I think you learn that in fifth grade. How old are you?"

"Nine," he answered. "I'll be ten in September, though."

"So, you'll be in fourth grade, then. Now, when you get to fifth grade, you'll know something before everyone else." Carol smiled and pulled out two water bottles from the bag and handed him one. He guzzled half of it in one drag.

"How old are you?" Daryl thought it was only fair he'd ask her age, too.

"I just turned eleven in May."

"Eleven and you still have a stuffed animal? Aren't you a little too old for that?" The words were out before Daryl could stop them. Just because he wasn't allowed to have any toys of his own didn't mean he could make fun of her for having one.

"Mr. Snuggles is my best friend." She hugged the animal close and glared at him. "I've had him since I was five and I plan on keeping him until I'm at least forty! So, no, I am _not_ too old!"

The pair slipped into silence and Daryl regretted what he had said. This had been the first person he had had an actual conversation with since Merle had left, which had been four months ago.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "About what I said about...Mr. Snuggles."

"You're forgiven," Carol said curtly and stood to brush off the crumbs from her pants. "If you're ready, we should start trying to find our way back. I think it's going to be dark soon."

Daryl quickly got to his feet. There was no way he wanted to spend another night in the woods. At least, he would have company this time. "If we can find our way back to my house, maybe it'll be easier to find yours."

Daryl nodded at the plan. Truthfully, he didn't care what they did as long as he got out of these God forsaken woods and, as they started walking, he noticed that his ass was starting to itch something fierce.

* * *

Carol looked over at the boy silently walking beside her. Daryl. He seemed nice and Carol was glad that she was no longer lost by herself. Now, as they walked, Carol studied Daryl. It was obvious he had spent several days in the woods. Most of his exposed skin was covered in dirt and his hair was a tangled mess of leaves, dirt and twigs, much like her own.

For being nine, Daryl was tall for his age. He was only an inch or so shorter than her and she was one of the tallest kids in her class.

"So," she said, wanting to end the silence. "Why did you decide to go into the woods?"

Carol noticed the way Daryl hunched in on himself when she asked the question and she wondered if she had said something wrong. Daryl stuffed his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to, Daryl. I'm sorry."

Daryl took a deep breath. "I ran away from my house. If'n I didn't, my daddy would have beat the shit out of me."

Carol gasped. Her parents pretty much ignored her, but she'd rather have that than have them beat her. "I'm so sorry, Daryl." She moved to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away before she could make contact.

"Don't want your pity."

Carol winced. "I'm sorry," she said, again.

"And you can stop apologizin', too." He grumbled.

"I'm-" She stopped herself.

"So, why was your ass out in the woods?" Daryl decided to keep the conversation going and watched Carol blush.

"I wanted to be the next Christopher Columbus. I was going to find Caroltopia."

"Caroltopia?"

"Never mind. It was stupid." Carol quickened her steps and Daryl had to run to catch up with her. "All I want to do, now, is go home and hide myself under my covers. I bet my parents won't even know I was gone."

"Well," Daryl mumbled. "That'll make two of us."

* * *

An hour later, Daryl noticed that Carol's steps seemed to quicken and she had a smile on her face.

"I know where I am, now!" Without another word, she broke into a run and Daryl had no choice but to follow. It didn't take long before they were crashing through some bushes and found themselves in the middle of a back yard.

"This your house?" Daryl looked in awe at the two-story building in front of him. His house was no bigger than a trailer.

"Yep! Do you want to come in? I don't think my parent's are home and I can make us grill cheeses."

Daryl wanted to say yes so badly, but looking down at himself, he saw that he was filthy and he didn't want to drag that into Carol's nice house. "I should head back."

Carol's eyes softened and she stepped closer to him. "You don't have to go back, Daryl. Not now, anyway."

"Naw, I need to head back and take a shower. Uh, thanks." He brought his thumb up to his mouth and gnawed on the skin there, ignoring how dirty it was. "Uh, it was nice meetin' you, Carol."

"Yeah," Carol nodded, her eyes sad. "Nice meeting you, too."

Daryl felt her eyes on his back as he made his way to the front of house. If he knew what street she lived on, then he'd be able to find his way home. Before he could start down the road, someone called his name. He turned and saw Carol running up to him, sans backpack and with Mr. Snuggles in her arms.

"Wait!" She called and stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath. "Here." She thrust the stuffed animal in his face. "You can have him."

Daryl looked at the animal and then Carol, quizzically. "But ain't he your best friend?"

"No anymore," she smiled and looked him straight in the eyes. "You are."

For the rest of that summer, Daryl and Carol would walk to each other house's and hang out. Daryl never had a friend before and Carol was starting to become the best thing to ever happen to him. She never made fun of him and didn't care that sometimes he'd wear the same clothes for several days or that he cussed. That day, he had taken her stuffed rabbit, cautiously and now, it sat in his room. When he was away, he carefully hid it in his closet so that his pa wouldn't see.

Then, one day, Merle was suddenly back. Daryl was just about to leave to visit Carol when he ran straight into his older brother.

"Pack up your shit, baby bro. We're gettin' the fuck outta here."

Their pa had left the night before and was currently on some kind of bender and Daryl knew that he wouldn't be back for several days. Not asking any questions, Daryl went to his room and packed what little belongings he had and met his brother in the living room.

Merle grabbed Daryl's bag from him. "Come on." Then, he walked out of the door.

Things were happening fast. Daryl didn't know where they were going and what they would do when they got there, but that didn't bother him. What bothered him was that he was probably never going to see Carol again, the only friend he had.

Racing to his room, he grabbed Mr. Snuggles and ran out the back door. If he didn't show up at her house, Daryl knew Carol would walk over here and meet them at a large oak tree they had dubbed as a headquarters of a sort for their many adventures. He placed the stuffed animal on the first branch, knowing that Carol would see him. Daryl wished he could write her a note and tell her what was going on, but Merle was honking at him from the front of the house and he knew he'd better get a move on before Merle came looking for him.

Just as we about to run to Merle, something caught his eye. Growing a couple feet away from the base of the oak tree was a Cherokee Rose. Picking it, he knew Carol would love it and went to place it in Mr. Snuggles arms. Carol would know who it was from. Then, with one last look, Daryl was off running to Merle's truck.

As he watched the scenery pass by through the window of the truck, Daryl knew he'd never see Carol, again, and to his surprise, tears blurred his vision. Quickly, he blinked them back lest Merle saw them and gave him hell.

* * *

**Well, what do you think? Love it? Hate it? I'm open to any constructive criticism and suggestion any of you may have! The next chapter will be set during season 1. :) I'm also thinking of having flashbacks of this time in later chapters. Young Daryl and Carol are so cute!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm glad you all liked the first chapter! One of you asked if Carol would still be married to Ed in this and the answer is, yes. Don't worry, though. He isn't in it for long! He'll just be in this and the next chapter and then his ass is dead! :). So, how about that episode, tonight? Can I just say that Bob and Sasha are super super cute! Well, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it!**

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**Chapter Two**

_**August 8th, 2010- 28 Years Later**_

_**Quarry- Daryl**_

From the time he was nine, Daryl never really had a place to call home. Sure, there had been run down apartments and shitty trailers, but none of those places had been permanent and Daryl never felt like he belonged there, either. He and Merle had constantly moved from place to place and always within the state lines of Georgia.

When the world ended, they had been heading back to their hometown to check up on their old man. They never made it, though. Somehow, they had ended up with a group of survivors that made a camp near a quarry just outside of Atlanta. The group was led by some ex-cop and it didn't take much for Daryl to find out he didn't like the man. Shane Walsh hadn't made it a secret that he disliked having the Dixon brothers living among them. Merle would most likely share his feelings about the arrogant prick, if he weren't always high.

Taking advantage of Merle's inebriated state, Daryl would grab his crossbow and go off in the woods to hunt. Merle wouldn't be happy if he knew that his little brother was hunting, not just for them, but for the rest of the people in the group, as well. Besides the canned shit the Asian kid brought back from his runs to Atlanta, the rest of the group was pretty useless when it came to obtaining any type of fresh meat. Daryl was a hunter and he figured that he might as well provide for his fellow survivors with food. For all they knew, they could be the only living people left.

With a string full of squirrels and a rabbit, Daryl made his way across the camp until he stood in front of the rail-thin woman with long, brown hair who had seemed to put herself in charge right alongside Shane. Daryl didn't like her much, either and had almost walked on her and Shane fucking in the middle of the woods. Surprisingly, with the noise they had been making, no walkers found them. Daryl shuddered at the memory.

At the sound of his footsteps, the skinny woman looked up at him from where she sat on a lawn chair watching her son follow Shane around. Fear and disgust flashed in her eyes and she didn't even bother to greet him. Daryl scowled. Here, he helped feed the whole damn camp and yet, they all still looked at him as if he was going to kill them all in their sleep. Sometimes, he didn't even know why he bothered, at all. He should just let these uppity assholes fend for themselves from now on.

"Brought you all some meat," he growled and thrust the dead rodents into her face. The way her face scrunched up in revulsion lightened his mood and caused him to smirk. It was clear Miss High and Mighty considered herself above eating squirrels, but meat was meat and if she wanted to starve, then it was on her.

"Carol has dinner duty, tonight. Take those over to her." The woman pointed to the other side of camp where a shorthaired woman sat with a skinny blonde girl. Her daughter, he assumed. They sat kind of far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the camp and Daryl wondered if they were like him and liked their quiet.

Daryl had only seen the woman briefly during his time at the quarry, mostly she kept to herself and constantly had the skinny blonde girl attached to her side. Daryl couldn't help but feel like he knew her from somewhere. Now, he knew her name and it only intensified the feeling. But, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out where he had seen her before. In he and Merle's travels, they had come across many women, but for some reason, Daryl knew he hadn't meant her in a bar or anything like that.

With hesitate steps, Daryl approached Carol, who was quietly laughing with her daughter and playing with the girl's blonde hair. The little girl saw him approach before her mother and immediately stopped talking, brown eyes going wide with fear. That made him halt in his steps. It didn't bother him that much when adults looked at him with fear, but a little girl? He hated that shit. The last thing he'd ever do would be to hurt a kid. Especially, with how he had grown up with an abusive father.

"Sophia, honey, are you okay?" Carol asked, concern written on her face. Turning, she looked to where Sophia's attention seemed to be glued on.

When Carol turned to look up Daryl, he was met with the prettiest blue eyes he had ever seen. Once again, he found that he couldn't move from his spot. His feet would not move no matter how hard he told them, too. He _knew _those eyes from _somewhere_. Jesus Christ, this was going to kill him! This woman was somehow connected to his past and for the life of him, he couldn't remember from where.

"Uh...Carol?" Daryl winced at how stupid he sounded. His voice had come out all raspy, since it had been awhile since he had spoken more than a growl to anyone besides Merle.

"Yeah, that's me. Is there something you need?" Unlike her daughter and Shane's woman, Carol's eyes didn't show any fear of him. Daryl relaxed under her soft blue gaze.

"Uh, the bit-, I mean, lady over there said you had dinner duty and I brought you all some squirrel." He didn't thrust his kills in her face, but held them out to her, politely. Dixons usually didn't do polite, but to treat this woman any other way just felt _wrong._

Carol's eyes widened and she stood to her feet. "These should feed the whole camp!" She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you."

Daryl felt his face heat up and all he wanted to do was get out of there. No one had ever thanked him for bringing food before and it felt...nice. Especially, since it had came from the pretty woman in front of him.

"Ain't nothin'," he scoffed, sounding like some bashful, teenage boy and not a grown ass man in his prime.

Carol took the string from him, with no disgust, despite the dead, glassy eyes of the squirrels and turned to Sophia. "Come on, honey. Let's get these ready for everyone." Wrapping an arm around the girl, she began to walk away. Daryl realized with a start that he wasn't ready to see them go.

"Uh, wait," he called, surprising the hell out of himself. "Do you know how to skin 'em?"

Carol turned back to face him, slightly surprised. "Yes, I do. My husband tried hunting once. Brought back a rabbit and I looked up online how to skin it."

"Psh," Daryl snorted and took a step closer. He tried to ignore when Sophia huddled closer to her mother. "Here, I'm goin' to show the right way to do it." Gingerly, he took the squirrels from Carol and led the way to a nearby picnic table. Carol only hesitated a second before she and her daughter followed him.

* * *

Daryl knew that it had been a bad idea to sit with Carol and Sophia the moment an overweight man with an ugly as sin face began to approach them from where he had been sitting on top of the RV taking 'watch'. Daryl had taken a peek at him when he had first presented the squirrels to the thin woman and had noticed his head slumped on his chest. The man had been sleeping! It was a miracle a herd of geeks hadn't stumbled onto their group.

Daryl also didn't like the cocky swagger to the man's walk. Personally, Daryl thought the man looked like a pig and should have nothing to be arrogant about. A walker would be able to get a full course meal out of him.

Carol most have noticed when he had paused in his work and turned to see what had gained his attention. Instantly, she froze and dropped the half-skinned rodent to the table. Daryl didn't like that reaction and wondered who this man was to her and for the first time, he noticed the gold band on Carol's left hand. _Shit._

The man approached the table and roughly grabbed Carol by the arm, not caring that Daryl was right there watching it all. "What the hell is this?"

In an instant, Daryl was on his feet. Pain flitted across Carol's delicate features and that was sure as hell _not_ okay with him. "Get your fuckin' hands off her." He made sure his voice was low and menacing, so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself from the other members of the group. The last thing they needed was for Shane Walsh to saunter over and assert his _authority._

"This is my wife and I can do whatever the hell I want with her." Carol was then, forcefully dragged to her feet. A pained cry escaped her lips and Daryl nearly leapt across the table to strangle the man. Wife or not, the bastard had no right to hurt her.

"Ed, please," Carol begged as she continued to get dragged away. Sophia remained at the table, clutching some sort of stuffed rabbit and had tears streaming down her cheeks. "I still have to finish making dinner for everyone." The fat man, Ed, stopped yanking on Carol's arm and leaned down to whisper something fiercely in her ear. Daryl's jaw clenched when he saw Carol shudder at whatever Ed was saying.

Daryl grew so angry; he felt the blood in his veins begin to boil. No man should ever lay his hands on a woman. He had seen enough of that with his daddy and mom before she died. But he didn't do anything to stop Ed and that made him angrier. All he did was watch as Carol ripped her arm away from her husband and walked by the table, eyes downcast when she stood in front of him.

"I-I think Sophia and I can handle the rest on our own." Carol's voice was no louder than a whisper. "Thank you for the help, Daryl."

Daryl knew that he was being dismissed. Glaring behind Carol at Ed, who had grabbed a lawn chair to sit and watch his wife and daughter with, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and stomped away from the dysfunctional family. It didn't occur to him until much later that he had never told Carol his name and yet, she still had known it.

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" Merle was up and poking his head out of his tent when Daryl stomped into their camp.

"Huntin'." Daryl threw over his shoulder and went directly to his own tent. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk with Merle, who, from the looks of it, was just coming down from one of his highs.

"Where's the meat? I'm starvin'." Merle crawled out of the tent and took a seat on a log by their fire pit. There were a few glowing embers from the fire Daryl had started the night before and Merle had grabbed the sharp stick near his feet to prod at the coals.

"At the camp. One of the women is cookin' it." Daryl didn't feel like mentioning Carol by name. Merle didn't need to know that he had actually cared to find out. It would only add the list of things Merle gave him shit about.

"What?" Merle stood up and nearly toppled over at the sudden movement. The drugs still in his system were making him a little uncoordinated and Daryl was lucky that they weren't causing his brother to lash out in anger at him. Before the world ended, Daryl would avoid Merle like the plague when he was like this. Now, he couldn't leave as much because he had to make sure Merle didn't cause trouble at the camp while he was gone. "Ya didn't bring back any for us?"

Daryl sighed and turned around. So much for escaping to his tent for the evening. Merle seemed to be in a chatty mood. "Figured I'd go down there later and grab us a couple plates." As an excuse, he continued. " 'Sides, I'm gettin' fuckin' sick of cookin'." He didn't dare bring up the fact that he was also sick of the fact that Merle didn't do shit around the camp. Daryl didn't feel like exchanging blows, because he knew that's what would happen if he brought up Merle's lack of work.

"The bitch cookin' my food better know how to do it right, then." Merle grumbled and sat back down on the log. Reaching down, he grabbed the stick, again and began poking at the mostly burnt logs in the pit.

As much as Daryl wanted to defend Carol, he kept his mouth shut. Merle would ask questions and Daryl knew that he wouldn't want to answer them.

Later that evening, Daryl emerged from his tent and saw Merle slumped in his spot, clearly fast asleep. Daryl just rolled his eyes and stretched, grimacing when his back cracked. The time spent in the seclusion of his tent had been spent reading a book. That was another thing he kept from his older brother.

Daryl Dixon liked to read and had since he was nine years old. Growing up, he hadn't had the chance to actually own any books but somehow he had been able to get a hold of a copy of the _Adventures of Tom Sawyer._ To this day, he still couldn't remember who had given him the book and carried it around wherever Merle would drag them next. Despite the fact that it was a children's book, Daryl would find quiet moments in the day, go into his tent and read a few pages.

His stomach chose that time to protest its emptiness and Daryl knew that dinner should be cooked by now. Or, at least, he hoped it was.

When he walked into the main part of the camp the smell of cooked meat invaded his senses and his stomach rumbled again. Most of the group seemed to be huddled around a table and Daryl figured that was where the food must have been laid out. He wanted until everyone cleared out before he grabbed two plates and filled them up with whatever meat and other food that was leftover.

Turning from the table, Daryl nearly collided with someone and was about to cuss him out when he saw that it was Sophia, Carol's daughter.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Sophia didn't say anything and just glared at him. Well, _that _was new. Just a few hours before, she had looked like she'd piss her pants if he got anywhere near her. What had changed since then?

"Sophia! Say you're sorry." A soft voice scolded and Carol appeared behind the girl.

"It's all right. My fault, anyway. Shouldn't have turned around so fast." His mouth went dry when he finally looked at Carol's face. On her cheek was a fresh bruise. Daryl knew exactly who had given her that bruise and was two seconds away from stomping over to the fat bastard's camp and kicking his ass.

Carol gave him a smile, even though her daughter still glared. "Well, I hope you enjoy your meal."

Daryl found himself smiling back, something very rare for him and chose to ignore the bruise on Carol's cheek. From the way, she kept her head tilted away from him, he knew that she hadn't wanted him to see it. "Smells mighty good. I'm sure it'll taste mighty good."

Carol blushed and moved past him with Sophia.

"Uh, you two have a good night, now." Before they could respond, Daryl was walking back to camp, ears burning. On his way, he passed Ed sitting in his lawn chair chowing down on his meal. Grease was smeared all over the man's face and Daryl nearly lost his appetite. The asshole was lucky Daryl's hands were full, but he vowed that the next time he saw Ed's ugly face he'd beat it in.

**A Week Later**

Turns out, the next time Daryl saw Ol' Ed he had been half eaten by some geek. Still angry with fucking' Rick Grimes for leaving his brother and with Merle who was just _gone _and hadn't thought to come back for him, Daryl still found he was taking an immense amount of pleasure in watching Carol slam a pickaxe into his fat, ugly head.

* * *

**The next chapter will be in Carol's POV at the quarry and I have no idea when that will be posted. This week is Spring Break for me and unfortunately, I may have to work every day of it, but I will find the time to write for this story and my other WIPs. Hopefully!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews so far. I really appreciate them! :) Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_**Quarry- Carol**_

Carol knew that if they hadn't found the quarry group sooner or later, she and Sophia would be dead. She knew that Ed would have left them in a second if it meant saving his own worthless life. Even before the world ended, Carol had been called useless countless times and according to Ed, could never do anything right. At first, Carol had believed all those things. In high school, she had been a shy girl with hardly any friends and when Ed came along, she had jumped at the chance to date him. No boy had ever shown interest in her before.

Everyday for the last thirteen years, Carol had regretted that decision.

The only thing that she didn't regret about her marriage to Ed was Sophia. Sophia was the bright light to her bleak, dark world.

The Peletier family had been fortunate to run into Shane, Lori and her son, Carl, on the highway. Without them, they would have probably driven right past the quarry and found themselves trapped on the road with snarling walkers gnashing their teeth at them. Ed didn't like being at a camp with so many other people. Mostly, because he wasn't in charge. So, every night, he would take out his anger on Carol.

Quarry life was simple and one could almost forget the world had ended when they stepped out of their tents and into the serene atmosphere. Carol sometimes pretended it was a vacation of some sort when she'd walk with the other woman to wash their laundry in the crystal clear water of the lake. Some nights, Carol even considered sneaking out of her tent and walking down to the lake to skinny dip. No one else would be there, but if Ed found out there would be hell to pay. She would never leave Sophia in the same tent as her father, though. Never ever.

The man was sick and began to make eyes at his own daughter. Carol knew that if she ever saw Ed place his hands on Sophia, she'd kill him. She didn't care if they kicked her out of the group. If it meant saving her little girl, she wouldn't hesitate.

Ed made sure that they were separated from the main camp and made sure his wife and daughter stayed near their campsite. To his chagrin, though, the other members of the group did not stay away from them.

Carl had been the first to approach them and ask if Sophia could play. The boy seemed nice and was around Sophia's age, so Carol had said yes. So, after, Carl's mother, Lori, made a trip to see Carol and asked if she could help fix dinner some nights. Wanting to feel useful, Carol had agreed.

Ed had somehow been wrestled into the watch rotation, most likely by Shane. Carol knew the man was a big stickler on people doing their part and she could stand by that. So, for a few hours every couple days, she was free from Ed's beady eyes watching her every move.

One hot afternoon, Carol and Sophia sat together in their campsite quietly talking and laughing with one another. Later, Carol would go to the main fire pit and started cooking up dinner, but for now, she was allowed to relax. She threaded Sophia's soft hair through her fingers and smiled as her daughter animatedly told of her of something that Carl had done the day before.

Just then, a shadow fell over her daughter's face and her eyes grew wide in fear. Carol only saw that look when Ed was around. "Sophia, honey, are you okay?" She turned and was surprised to see a man standing there.

_ Daryl._

The name came out of nowhere and Carol knew she had never been properly introduced to the man. He and his brother stayed to themselves in their own campsite.

"Uh...Carol?" He asked as his teeth worried his full, bottom lip.

Carol was shocked he knew her name. "Yeah, that's me. Is there something you need?" She couldn't help but notice how handsome the man was.

"Uh, the bit-, I mean, lady over there said you had dinner duty and I brought you some squirrel." He held a string of the dead animals almost shyly. Carol was surprised that a gruff man like him could act shy.

The number of squirrels on the string shocked her and Carol stood up. "These should feed the whole camp!" Last night's meal had consisted of one can of ravioli per person and the thought of having actual meat, caused Carol's mouth to water slightly. "Thank you."

Carol could tell that he hadn't been thanked very often by the way his face flushed at her words. "Ain't nothin'," he had scoffed and looked down at his shows. She was reminded of a bashful teenager.

With the smile still on her face, she took the string of squirrels from his hand and turned to Sophia, who had been watching the whole scene with a hint of fear in her brown eyes. Carol knew she'd have to talk to her later. For some reason, even though he had a rough exterior, Carol knew this man would never hurt them.

"Come on, honey. Let's get these ready for everybody." She wrapped an arm around Sophia's skinny shoulders and began to lead her to the nearest picnic table to their camp. She was surprised, though, when the man, _Daryl_, called after them.

"Uh, wait," he said. "Do you know how to skin 'em?"

Carol turned and faced him, shocked that he had continued to speak with her. "Yes, I do. My husband tried hunting once. Brought back a rabbit and I looked up online how to skin it." Ed had gone hunting with a bunch of friends and had brought back a skinny rabbit. Carol knew there wouldn't be enough meat on the thing to make a decent meal, but she hadn't wanted to anger him. So, she looked online on how to skin it and cooked the thing.

"Psh," Daryl snorted and walked closer to them. Carol felt Sophia huddle closer to her hip and placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "Here, I'm goin' to show the right way to do it." Softly, he reached out and grabbed the string from her. Carol could only watch in silence as he began to walk toward the table and after a moment of hesitation, she followed him.

They skinned the animals in silence. Sophia watched in morbid fascination as they peeled the fur away from the squirrel's skin. Carol put a fully skinned squirrel in Sophia's face and laughed when she squealed and jumped away. From the corner of her eye, Carol saw Daryl crack a smile.

Just as quick as that smile appeared, though, it was gone and he was looking at something behind her. Carol didn't want to turn around, but she did and froze. Ed. Of course, he'd catch her having a moment of fun and with another man, no less.

Quickly, he was on her and yanking on her arm. "What the hell is this?" There would be bruises in the morning. Another one she'd have to figure out how to hide.

Daryl was on his feet with his hands clenched in fists. "Get your fuckin' eyes off her." His voice was low.

"This is my wife and I can do whatever the hell I want with her." Another yank and she was on her feet. A cry of pain escaped her lips before she could stop it. She couldn't help it, though. It felt like he was going to pull her arm out of its socket.

"Ed, please." She hated how pathetic she sounded and especially, in front of Daryl, too. "I still have to finish making dinner for everyone."

Ed stopped pulling and leaned in close. Carol fought the urge to turn her face away in disgust. "Fine, bitch," he whispered harshly. "But, once you're done you're going to pay for hanging out with that redneck piece of trash."

Carol shuddered at the words, nodded and ripped her arm forcefully from his grasp. She'd pay for that, too, but didn't care. Approaching the table, she kept her eyes downcast. Embarrassed that he had just witnessed everything. "I-I think Sophia and I can handle the rest on our own," she whispered. "Thank you, Daryl."

Daryl huffed and without another word, turned and stomped away. Carol was surprised to find out that she was sad to see him go.

* * *

The slap she received for being 'a stupid whore' hadn't surprised her. Like Ed promised, the moment she had finished cooking the meal and went back to camp, his hand had made contact with her face. The force of it had driven her to her knees and Sophia had come running.

"Next time you better think before talking to redneck trash," Ed snarled and walked away. Sophia clutched her arm and cried softly into her shirt.

"Mommy?" Sophia whispered once Ed was completely gone. "I'm sorry daddy hit you."

Carol smiled through the pain and pulled her daughter close. "It wasn't your fault, Sophia, so you have no reason to be sorry. Now, why don't you get yourself some food and then you can go sit by Carl."

Sophia stood up and hesitated a moment. "Are you sure?"

Carol nodded. "Yes, honey. Go and have some fun, okay?"

With a final smile, Sophia was racing off to the food table. Carol watched and winced when she nearly ran into Daryl, who looked like he was gathering food for himself and his brother. Walking up to them, Carol noticed the angry look her daughter was shooting at Daryl and placed kind hands on her shoulders.

"Sophia! Say you're sorry."

"It's all right. My fault, anyway. Shouldn't have turned around so fast." His eyes widened when he looked at her face and Carol quickly looked down. Of course, there would be a mark from where Ed had hit her.

Instead of continuing to feel ashamed, she gave him a smile. "Well, I hope you enjoy your meal."

Then Carol witnessed something beautiful. Daryl smiled back at her. This rough man was continuing to surprise her. "Smells mighty good. I'm sure it tastes mighty good." No one had ever complimented her cooking before and she felt her face flush.

As she walked past him with Sophia, Carol heard him say, "Uh, you two have a good night, now." Before she could respond back with something similar, Daryl was already off walking back to his camp.

"Sophia Ann," Carol scolded once they were alone. "Why were you looking at Daryl that way? Running into you was an accident!"

Sophia had never acted that way before and Carol wanted to know why it had started with a man who had been only nice to them. Daryl could have cussed her daughter out for not watching where she was going, but he had been the one to first apologize and take the blame.

"He's the reason daddy hit you."

Carol's mouth dropped open in shock.

"If he hadn't come over and talked to you, then daddy wouldn't have gotten mad and he wouldn't have hit you." Sophia looked down at her ratty sneakers and Carol dropped to her knees in front of her.

"Listen, here, Sophia. Daryl is _not _the reason why he hit me, understand? He probably would have done it even if Daryl hadn't come up to us." Carol tiled Sophia's chin up to look at her. "Daryl is a nice man, Sophia. I know you've seen him and his brother act up a little around camp, but sitting with us, today and helping us skin those squirrels showed us the kind of man he really is."

Sophia nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, honey." Carol stood up. "I think Carl's waiting for his best friend to join him, so hurry up and get a plate." She winked and watched her daughter grab some food and head over to Carl, who was sitting with Lori and Shane.

Tonight, she'd eat dinner alone.

* * *

That night, Carol lay awake in their tent. Ed snored next to her and Sophia was curled on her side on the other side of the tent. Her mind went back to some of the events that had happened earlier that day. Mostly the events that dealt with a certain redneck. For some reason, the man seemed so _familiar_, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Mommy?" Sophia's soft voice called to her and Carol's reverie was broken.

"Yes honey?" She crawled quietly to her daughter and settled beside her. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"No," she turned and faced her. "How did you know Daryl's name?"

"What?" Carol asked, confused.

"When I was talking with Carl, I mentioned him and he had no idea that's what his name was. He said him and his brother never introduced themselves."

Carol lay still. How _had _she known his name? "I don't know, Sophia. I...don't know."

**A Week Later**

The blisters on her hands stung, but she didn't care. In fact, she relished in them. Her soft hands weren't used to the ax's rough handle and she had driven it into her dead husband's head numerous times. The bastard was finally gone from their lives and she'd bare the torn skin on her hands with pride.

* * *

**Now, there is officially no more Ed! :) Next up the CDC! So, do you all have a guess who will remember first?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is probably one of my favorite chapters so far, so I hope you all really like it. Unfortunately, today is my last day of Spring Break and then I go back to school, so updates will probably be coming in a little slower. :( Sorry!**

* * *

**Chapter ****Four**

_**CDC- Daryl**_

Daryl didn't like the look of Jenner from the first moment he saw him. Then again, he was suspicious of most people nowadays. The doctor looked defeated with being the only one left in the whole facility and Daryl could tell that it weighed heavily on the man's shoulders. He wondered how long it would be before the guy snapped. Hopefully, they would be long gone by then. If there was anything he was certain of, it was that no place was permanent. Even before the world had ended, Daryl had known that. He had watched his childhood home burn down in flames, taking his mother with it and when he was with Merle, they were constantly on the road and didn't stay in one place for long.

Merle was gone, but nothing else had changed. The quarry had been thought to be a sanctuary and look at what happened to it. It had been overrun with walkers. Now, they all thought they'd be safe behind the CDC's thick walls, but Daryl couldn't help but think differently. No matter how hard he had tried to shove the thought back, Daryl couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen. Growing up the way he had, those feelings would usually be right.

Jenner was speaking to them as they all crammed into the elevator. Somehow, Daryl found himself smashed into the corner, but found that he didn't mind too much when he saw how near Carol and Sophia were. Since the quarry, Daryl had started to keep on eye out for them. With Ed being dead, they had no one to look out for them. Lori had Rick _and_ Shane (Now, that was a situation Daryl was just waiting to explode.). Jacqui had T-Dog and Andrea had Dale, even if she never asked for it. So, Daryl had taken it upon himself to look after the widow and her daughter. Besides, he had nothing better to do and maybe, if he spent more time around Carol he'd finally figure out where he had seen her before.

The elevator came to a complete stop after a few minutes and when the doors slid open, the group filed out. Daryl stayed to the back, but still made sure to keep close to carol. Jenner led the way through the hallways and Daryl watched Carol wrap an arm around Sophia and lift her head to speak.

"Are we underground?" It was the first time Daryl had heard her talk since they had come to the CDC.

Jenner gave her a brief glance, but didn't slow his pace. "Why? Are you claustrophobic?"

"A little."

"Don't think about it, then."

From the corner of his eye, Daryl watched Carol close her eyes and take a deep breath. It was clear that she hadn't liked Jenner's answer. Sophia, then, turned to her mother and patted her arm gently and whispered, "It's going to be okay, mama."

Carol gave her daughter a small smile and squeezed her hand lovingly. Daryl continued to watch the scene, transfixed. It was clear that the pair loved each other dearly and it made him envious of how close they were. He had never had that kind of relationship with his mother before she died.

Jenner was speaking again and Daryl figured he should start paying attention in case something important was said.

"There's hot water for your showers, but go easy on it." Something like that. Daryl hadn't had a hot shower since the world had ended. Quick and cold dips in the quarry lake had been the only thing that kept him clean. Not that he stayed that way for long. From the looks on everyone else's faces, they were all, too, excited to finally be able to have a hot shower.

Jenner showed them the rooms that were available for them to sleep in and Daryl couldn't care less where he slept, as long as he had a roof over his head and didn't have to sleep with one eye open. If only Merle could be there...

Then again, having Merle around would not be such a good thing. Especially in such a confined space. Merle never liked to play nice with others and it only would have been a matter of time he'd piss someone off. Most likely Rick or Shane. Which would have probably equaled them kicking him out and Daryl would have had no choice but to go with him. He knew his brotherly obligations. Merle, obviously, did not. He was some where out there with their van and hadn't even come back to get him.

Before anyone could go to their rooms for the night, they all agreed to gather in one of the old dining rooms and prepare a meal. The kitchen only held canned foods, but the women had a ball with all the different ingredients and made a meal worthy of the Last Supper, which for them it very well could be. Wine was poured and even Carl and Sophia were allowed a sip. They made faces at the taste and their mothers laughed softly. Daryl remained silent the whole time and nursed a bottle of Southern Comfort he had commandeered to himself.

Of course, Shane had to ruin the moment with his stupid questions and it wasn't long after that when people started to get up to go to their rooms for the night. Daryl had been the first to leave. Shane got on his nerves and the less time he heard him talking, the better. So, it wasn't soon after he finished his meal did he find himself lying on the couch he'd call his bed and still sipping on his bottle of Southern Comfort. It felt nice to finally be able to just relax.

The sound of running feet down the hallway had him jerking from the couch and reaching for his crossbow. He just_ knew_ that this peacefulness couldn't last. However, he reached the door just as Sophia and Carl ran past.

"Fuckin' kids," he muttered and turned to get back to his bottle when he heard a feminine voice from his doorway. Despite not having heard it much, Daryl knew exactly who it was. Carol.

"Sorry about that," she apologized.

Daryl turned all the way around and was surprised to see her right there, freshly showered and smelling so fucking good. She wore a robe that hung down to her knees, but his eyes were drawn to what she wore underneath the robe. Carol was wearing a tank top that was now showing a generous amount of cleavage. He wondered if she even realized it.

"They just really wanted to check out the rec room Dr. Jenner told them about." Her eyes weren't on him, so she couldn't tell where his attention was focused on at the moment.

"S'alright." He finally tore his eyes from her chest, heat flaming at how perverted he was acting.

Carol smiled and continued to stand there. She bit her lip as if thinking of something else to say to him. Daryl wondered if he should just walk to his couch and leave her be.

"Daryl," she finally said and Daryl hoped he hadn't seen him start when she said his name. "Do I..." She paused for a moment and wrapped her arms around herself. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Daryl was shocked by the question. He knew that she had looked familiar to him but didn't know she felt the same. All he wanted to do was blurt out _Yes!_ Maybe they'd finally be able to figure out where they had known each other from, together. Instead, his traitorous mouth said, "Uh, no. I don't think so."

Disappointment flashed across Carol's face and Daryl wondered if it was because she was disappointed that they may have not known each other before. It confused him. Why would she have _wanted_ to know him before? There was nothing good about him and she was a nice, respectable woman. He would have mostly tainted her somehow if he had known her.

"Oh, um, okay, then," Carol said, softly. "Well, then, I should probably go find out where the kids went. I promised I'd look after Carl for Lori while she talked with Rick." She seemed reluctant to go and Daryl knew that had to be his mind playing tricks on him. Why would she want to stay and chat with someone like him? She had just gotten rid of one asshole. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Daryl."

Daryl nodded and mumbled. "You, too." Feeling like some kind of creep, he watched her walk all the way down the hall and disappear around a corner before he went back to his room. The bottle of Southern Comfort was now more than half-empty, since most of its contents had spilled on the carpet when he had leapt from the couch. Instead of resuming his drinking, he gathered some of his clothes and headed to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

* * *

The warm water had felt amazing on his skin and Daryl just wanted to stay under the hot spray for hours, but he heeded Dr. Jenner's warning and went easy on it. Toweling off and glancing at himself briefly in the mirror, Daryl reveled in being clean. It wouldn't last long, he knew, but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted. Walking into his room with nothing but a pair of sweats, Daryl decided that he wouldn't spend the rest of his night drinking and would go to the rec room to see what was down there. Hopefully, Carol and the kids would have called it a night by the time he'd get down there.

Slipping a cotton t-shirt over his head, Daryl didn't even bother with socks or shoes and made his way down the hallway. Going the same way he had seen Carol go earlier, he hoped he didn't get lost. Turning the corner, he started to hear voices, mostly childish laughter, and knew he must have been getting close. But it was obvious, Carol and the kids were still in there and he wondered if he should turn around and come back later.

Just then, Carol poked her head out of the doorway and looked straight at him. Too late. "Oh," she said, surprised. "Hi."

"Uh, hey."

"I just looking to see if Lori was coming, yet. She told me she was only going to talk with Rick for a few minutes."

"Haven't seen her, either."

Carol shrugged. "Did you come down here for something?"

"Thought I'd check out what was in there. Didn't know you and the kids were still here. I can come back later, if you want."

Carol's brows furrowed. "Of course, you can come in, now." She took a step back from the doorway and motioned for him to enter. "I was just reading a book. Carl and Sophia are playing _Sorry._ I'm sure they'd love it if you played with them. I'm not much for board games."

"Uh, me neither." He followed into the room and saw Carl and Sophia huddled over a board game on the floor. They looked up when they heard his voice and Daryl was surprised when Sophia gave him a small wave. The last time they had interacted, she looked like she had wanted to kick him. So, he awkwardly returned the wave and focused back on Carol, who had taken a seat on the couch with a book in her hand.

Behind the couch was a whole wall of books and Daryl went to it. His tattered _Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ was still in his pack back at the room and he had finished it, again, back at the quarry. Maybe there was something here that would gain his interest and this time, he wouldn't have to hide his reading habit from Merle.

"It's mostly science fiction stuff." Daryl nearly jumped when he heard Carol's voice behind him. She was turned on the couch, facing him. "It's still better than Dale's collection."

Daryl snorted. He had never asked to borrow one of Dale's books, but he had heard the people around the camp complaining about them, so he just stuck to Tom Sawyer. Skimming the titles, he said, "So, what are you readin'?"

"Hmm," she heard her hum. "_The Time Machine_ by H.G Wells. I suppose its...interesting, so far."

"Here's another one by him," Daryl said and pulled out a thin book. "_War of the Worlds_. Ain't that a movie?" He turned to her with the book in his hand.

"Yeah, but I've never seen it."

Daryl shrugged. "Neither have I. It has to be good if they made a movie about it, right?" Clutching the book in his hand, he walked around and took a seat on the far end, leaving plenty of space between him and Carol. She looked surprised to see him sitting there, but soon got over it and went back to her book.

Their quiet reading was interrupted when Carl suddenly exclaimed, "I won!" Sophia glared at him and moved to put the game back in its box. Carol looked on with a fond smile.

"Let's play another game," Sophia suggested. "I'll beat you this time!" Carl took the box and stood, Sophia followed suit and then, bent down to pick up her stuffed rabbit from the ground.

"How come you carry that thing around everywhere?" Carl asked.

"It use to be my mom's. She gave it to me when I was five."

Daryl looked over at Carol, who was still watching the two.

"Aren't you twelve, like me?" Carl asked. "Isn't that a little too old to still have a stuffed animal?"

Time stopped, then and Daryl saw himself when he was little. He was lost in the woods and talking with a pretty girl with auburn hair and blue eyes. In her hand, she clutched a stuffed rabbit. The same stuffed rabbit Sophia now held.

"Carl," his eyes jerked over to Carol, who was now speaking. "You can never be too old for a stuffed animal. Especially, Mr. Snuggles. Right, Sophia?"

"Right!" Sophia announced proudly and gave her mother a wide smile.

The damn bunny's name was Mr. Snuggles? Carol looked at him, then, with her _pretty blue eyes_ and everything clicked. Now, he knew _exactly_ why Carol had looked so familiar to him.

Without a word to anyone, Daryl stood up and fled.

**-Flashback-**

_ A young Carol and Daryl trekked through the woods, careful to not go to far. Being lost once was enough for the both of them. Daryl looked over at his friend and rolled his eyes when he saw that damn rabbit clutched in her arm. She had insisted that Daryl bring him along and the moment Mr. Snuggles made an appearance, Carol was reaching for __him._

_ "Can't believe you wanted to bring him with," Daryl grumbled._

_ "I miss him," she said and then, carefully hoped over a fallen tree._

_ "You can always take him back whenever you want."_

_ "No, I gave him to you, Daryl. He's yours now and I just get visitation rights." Carol giggled and Daryl cracked a smile. _

_ It had been two and a half months since they had been lost in the woods and Daryl and Carol had spent that time just hanging out with one another. Today, Carol had walked to his house, after making sure his pa wasn't home, and together they had decided to take a walk through the woods. They made sure they marked a trail for themselves so that it would be easy to get back._

_ "There's a river up here, somewhere." Daryl continued to pick his way through the trees and underbrush, Carol not far from his side. There was also a bush of pretty flowers he thought Carol would like, too._

_ A __vicious__ growl behind them had Daryl and Carol freezing in their steps and slowly turning around. A mangy looking dog stood there, teeth bared and snarling. Daryl instinctively pushed Carol behind him. If the dog lunged, it would get him first._

_ "What do we do?" Carol whispered, fear laced in her voice. "Should we run?"_

_ "No," he whispered back. "It'll only chase us if we do. We'll have to scare it off somehow." Daryl looked around him, but still managed to keep one eye on the snarling beast in front of him. If it attacked them and had rabies, they would definitely be in for a world of hurt._

_ "There," he said and pointed to a long stick by Carol's feet. "Hand me that. If it comes at us, I'll hit it with the stick and hopefully, that would be enough to scare it away."_

_ "O-Okay." With a look at the dog, Carol slowly bent down to pick up the stick and handed it Daryl, who wielded it in front of him like a sword._

_ The dog continued to growl and inch toward the pair. Carol hid behind Daryl, a hand clutching his arm, tightly. Daryl was scared, too, but he wouldn't show it. He was going to protect Carol. No matter what._

_ Daryl swung the stick as the dog crept closer and was surprised when it made contact with the dog's nose. It yelped, but instead of lunging at them, it turned and ran away. It all was over so fast that Daryl had to let out a nervous laugh. Carol joined in and Daryl dropped the stick and faced her._

_ "My hero," she smiled and suddenly, she was smashing her lips to his._

_ Daryl remained frozen in his spot. What the hell was he supposed to do? He'd never been kissed by a girl before._

_ Carol quickly stepped back, saw Daryl's wide-eyed expression and immediately, her face fell. "I'm sorry!" She quickly said. "I shouldn't have done that."_

_ "It's all right. I jus' wasn't expected it." What he didn't tell her was that he had liked it. "Come on, let's get out of here before that dog comes back." They were both relieved with the subject change, but that kiss still reeled in both of their minds._

_ Daryl never did get to show Carol those flowers, because two days later, he was on the road with Merle driving as far away as they could get from their pa's house._

**-End of Flashback-**

Daryl practically ran the rest of the way to his room with the book still clutched in his hands. On the way there, he past Lori but didn't even bother to glare at her. So, that was where he had known Carol from. She had been his best friend during the summer he had turned ten. How could he have ever forgotten her?

She had been his first kiss.

Did she remember him? Well, obviously not. She would have said something earlier, _but _she had said that he looked familiar. Maybe she would slowly come to realize it...or he could tell her. Then, what? It was clear they had both changed from that time in their lives. Would they just fall back into the relationship they had before, even it had been almost thirty years ago?

Daryl couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards the woman, though. When he was nine he had thought her pretty and now, he was almost thirty-eight, he thought her beautiful.

Now, Carol had a daughter and a dead bastard of a husband. She'd been nice and talked with him, but could she ever want to have a relationship with him? Groaning, Daryl picked up the abandoned bottle of Southern Comfort. He had just figured out who Carol was and now, he was thinking about possibly getting to sleep with her. God, he was horrible.

* * *

It turned out, just like Daryl suspected, that their safety was once again jeopardized. Jenner was batshit crazy and planned to have them all go up in flames. Oh hell, no. He had _just_ found out who Carol was and there was no way he was going to die without her at least knowing.

Taking a look at Carol's sobbing face and the way she clutched Sophia close to her, Daryl picked up an ax and ran to the doors, hoping somehow he could get them all of there to safety. Despite his furious hacking at the doors, nothing happened and he only grew angrier. In one of his not so fine moment, he had gone after Jenner with the ax and had to be restrained by several men of the group.

Thinking about Carol and Sophia dying was causing him to see red.

After everything, it was Carol who had saved them all. If it hadn't been for that grenade in her pack, they would have all gone up in flames.

_...Just like his momma..._

Walkers milled around outside and Daryl rushed forward with two axes in his hands and cut down any walkers that got near. He didn't allow himself a moment of relief as he sat in his truck until he saw Carol and Sophia climb into Carol's Cherokee.

That had been too close. _Way way_ too close and now, they were on the run again. Fucking great.

* * *

**There you have it! Daryl was the first to remember and, if all goes well, Carol shouldn't be that far behind him! :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here's the next chapter and it's the longest one so far! I really enjoyed writing it! :)**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

_**CDC- Carol**_

The large concrete building of the CDC stood before them and Carol made sure to keep Sophia close as they waited for s sign that someone was here. Walkers were closing in on them, after they had heard the loud banging and yelling of Rick. Carol didn't know what to do if they were attacked. She had no weapon and no fighting skills. The only thing she could do was put herself in front of her daughter to make sure the walkers got her instead of Sophia.

"Mama," Sophia buried herself more into Carol's side. "I'm scared."

"It's okay, honey. Everything will be fine." Carol tried to reassure, even though if she wasn't sure what was going on at the moment. No one was answering their pleas for help and Rick was starting to get hysteric. After all, he had a wife and son to think about.

Shane kept trying to pull his friend back so that they all could all start going back to their vehicles, but Rick was having none of it. The yelling was attracting more walkers and Carol was starting to get nervous. Looking over her shoulder, she saw how close Daryl was all of a sudden and for some reason, instantly felt safer. This man didn't owe her anything, but he was right there, rifle out and ready to kill any walker that got too close.

Just then, the doors started to open and a collective sigh of relief went throughout the group. No one hesitated to rush inside. Carol made sure to keep a firm grip on Sophia. They would be safe indoors, but she was still going to make sure to keep on eye on her daughter. They hadn't finally gotten rid of Ed's bastard ass to suffer if one of them were to die.

The man that called himself Edwin Jenner looked...odd, Carol observed. Something wasn't right with the man. He looked defeated and that gave Carol an uneasy feeling. They all had agreed to give a blood sample and Carol was right back to hovering around Sophia once she had her blood taken. The needle had hurt, but it was all worth it to stay inside the large building.

Soon, the group was moving and loading into a huge elevator. Carol's palms began to sweat at the sight of the enclosed space and she had to fight to keep her breathing in check. Sophia was at her side and Daryl was at her back. She didn't want to let on how frightened she felt standing in the elevator. She had never done well with small spaces.

The elevator ride lasted only a few minutes but that nothing to slow her beating heart. Following everyone out of the elevator, Carol couldn't help but ask if they were underground. Oh God, the thought of it nearly caused her to shudder.

Jenner just looked at her from over his shoulder. "Why?" He asked. "Are you claustrophobic?"

"A little," she answered. Actually, it was a lot, but she wasn't going to say that aloud. They all should fear walkers, not hallways and rooms that were underground.

"Don't think about it, then." This of course made Carol start to think about it even more.

Sophia squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "It's going to be okay, mama." This time it was her daughter comforting her.

Squeezing Sophia's hand back, Carol gave her a small smile. Everything _would _be okay; she just had to calm herself down and not think about it. She could do that.

_ Just think of something else, Carol._

Like they had a mind of their own, Carol's eyes slid over until she could see Daryl out of the corner of them. Showing off those massive biceps in that sleeveless shirt were giving her something great to think about. How would it feel to be wrapped up them? She knew she'd feel safe. Her cheeks started to burn when she realized who she had been thinking about.

Daryl wouldn't want a washed up old widow like her. Just because Ed was dead and she was free, didn't mean she could start looking at other men. Especially a gruff and extremely handsome one.

"There's hot water for your showers, but go easy on it." Those words immediately got her mind off Daryl and to the fact that a hot shower would simply feel heavenly_._ Sophia even looked up at her with excitement at what the Dr. Jenner had said.

After being shown the rooms they would all be able to stay in, the group decided to meet in one of the dining rooms to cook up meal. Carol left Sophia with Carl and Lori and followed Jacqui to the kitchen where they would prepare the meal. Looking at the stove brought a large smile to Carol's face. When was the last time she had cooked on a real stove? Jacqui looked just as excited as her and together, they got to work fixing a meal worthy of the Last Supper.

"You know that man out there has been keeping a good eye on you," Jacqui said conversationally, but with a conspiring smile.

Carol laughed. "Jacqui there's a few men out there, which one are you talking about?" Deep down, she knew.

The woman made a tsking sound. "You know who I'm talking about, girl. Daryl, of course. I thought he'd split when they didn't return with his brother, but he's stuck around. Pretty close, too, especially when it comes to you and your daughter."

"I think you're just seeing things so you can gossip about them," Carol tried to laugh it off and nudged her friend lightly in the side.

"It isn't anything to be ashamed about, Carol. I wouldn't mind if that man kept an eye on me." Jacqui laughed.

"Why me, though?" Carol's face turned serious. "I'm not...pretty and plus, I have a daughter. Why would a man looking like that want anything to do with me?"

"Oh, Carol, honey." Jacqui wrapped an arm around her friend. "You're beautiful and now that Ed's gone you have nothing to worry about it. If I were you, I'd go after him."

"Okay." Carol only agreed because she knew it was what Jacqui wanted to hear. Daryl wasn't interested in her in _that_ way. He was only staying near to make sure nothing bad happened to them. That was it and nothing more. Despite his brother being an asshole, Carol knew that Daryl was a good man and this was his way of proving it to her. He was protecting her and her daughter, even though he didn't have to.

* * *

The meal and wine was being enjoyed by all until Shane opened his mouth and dampened the merry mood they were all feeling. Carol just wanted to go to their room and escape everything. Couldn't there be a night where they weren't reminded of the hell they lived in, now? Couldn't her daughter enjoy a day where death was brought up?

Carol let Sophia take the first shower and happily stepped in when she was finished. She didn't think she had felt anything _so good_ in her entire life. She never wanted to leave.

Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't stay in there forever and with reluctance, grabbed a towel and stepped into the steamed-up bathroom.

Walking into the room she and Sophia shared, she saw that her daughter was sitting on the bed, legs jiggling. At the sight of her mother, she jumped up. "Mom!" She exclaimed. "Carl came by and wanted to know if you can take us to the rec room while Carl's mom talks to his dad."

Carol smiled and folded the towel. "Of course, honey. Let me put on my robe." Grabbing her robe, she slipped it over her shoulders. Underneath the robe, she wore a pretty low cut tank top. Ed hated it when she wore them, but now that he was dead, Carol decided she could wear whatever she felt like wearing.

Sophia ran to the door, flung it open and started talking animatedly to Carl, who had been waiting there.

"Race you!" Carl declared and the two were off running. Carol didn't have the heart to tell them to stop. They were having fun and she didn't know when would be the next time they'd feel like that again.

Carol wished she had at least told them to keep the noise down when she saw Daryl open his door and check the hallway, crossbow in hand. The man had thought they were under attack and she felt bad for disturbing him.

"Sorry about that," she apologized and stopped in front of his room.

Daryl had been walking back into the room, but stopped and fully turned to face her. Carol wondered why his eyes got wide at the sight of her and when they slid down to her chest, she felt her face go hot and she couldn't look at him. Was he really looking at her chest?

"They just really wanted to check out the rec room Dr. Jenner told them about." She was surprised to get out the words without stumbling over them. This man made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time and she wished she knew why he looked so familiar. Carol had pushed that thought from her mind while at the quarry, but now it was coming to her full force when she had looked into his blue eyes.

"S'alright," he finally said and when Carol looked up, he was no longer looking at her chest. Part of Carol was relieved and the other part...well, she didn't dwell on that part.

Standing there looking at each other, Carol finally got up the courage to ask, "Daryl. Do I..." She paused, took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself. "Do I know you from somewhere?" _Please say yes__..._

Daryl seemed to be conflicted after she asked the question. "Uh, no. I don't think so." He finally said and Carol felt herself deflate. She thought for sure there was something familiar about him. Maybe it had all just been wishful thinking.

"Oh, um, okay, then," She said, softly. "Well, then, I should probably go find out where the kids went. I promised I'd look after Carl while she talked with Rick." She didn't want to leave, but she had Carl and Sophia to look out for. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

Carol felt like a teenager at the giddy feeling she got when Daryl mumbled, "You, too." She was almost forty years old for Christ's sake! She had no business feeling this way.

* * *

When Carol finally reached the rec room, Carl and Sophia had already raided the shelf full of board games and started setting up for a game of _Sorry!_. Carol smiled fondly as the two friends chattered away. The CDC was good for them. Here, Carl and Sophia were allowed to act like children. Carol pushed away the uneasy feeling she had been feeling since they had walked through the doors and forced herself to look at the shelves of books behind the couch. They were all science fiction, a genre she wasn't particularly interested in, and she grabbed the first book that caught her eye. _The Time Machine_ by H.G. Wells.

Reading about time machines seemed...interesting.

Several minutes ticked by, Carol was focused on her book and the kids were engrossed in their game. Carol started to wonder where Lori was. She had said she only needed a few minutes with Rick and that had been at least twenty minutes ago. Maybe she was coming. Setting down her book, still open, Carol got up and went to look out the doorway. She was surprised, pleasantly, when she nearly came face to face with Daryl. He looked just surprised as her.

"Oh," she said. "Hi." Carol, then, took the time to briefly give him a once over. It was clear that he had just gotten out of the shower. His hair was still slightly wet and his shirt clung to his chest because of his still damp skin, which Carol didn't mind at all. Then, she noticed with amusement, that he wasn't wearing any socks or shoes on his feet.

"Uh, hey." He had come to an abrupt stop when Carol had poked her head out and now, shuffled in place. Carol found it endearing.

"I was just looking to see if Lori was coming, yet. She told me she was only going to talk with Rick for a few minutes."

"Haven't seen her, either."

Carol shrugged. "Did you come down here for something?"

"Thought I'd check out what was in there. Didn't know you and the kids were still here. I can come back later, if you want." He answered, looking very unsure of himself.

Carol felt her brow furrow in confusion. What did he mean come back later? He was acting as if she didn't want him around. "Of course, you can come in, now." She took a step back from the doorway and motioned for him to enter. "I was just reading a book. Carl and Sophia are playing _Sorry!_. I'm sure they'd love it if you played with them. I'm not much for board games." For some reason, Carol really wanted to watch Daryl sit down with the kids and play with them.

"Uh, me neither." Daryl followed Carol into the room and cast a brief glance at Carl and Sophia playing their game. Both of them looked up when they had heard his gruff voice and Carol swelled in pride when her little girl actually waved at the taciturn man. Carl, having being told by his mother to stay away from Daryl and his brother, barely glanced at Daryl before his attention went back to the board.

Carol was glad to see that Sophia was no longer angry with Daryl and seemed to realize that he wasn't a bad man. She concealed a chuckle behind her hand when she watched Daryl wave awkwardly back at her daughter.

After watching the little scene between Daryl and Sophia, Carol walked back to the couch and her book. Peeking over the top of her book, she watched Daryl walk to the back of the couch and look at the selection of books.

"It's mostly science fiction stuff." She offered and turned around to face him. "It's still better than Dale's collection."

Daryl snorted and trailed a hand over the spines. "So, what are you readin'?"

Carol was shocked that he had wanted to know. "The Time Machine by H.G Wells. I suppose its...interesting, so far."

"Here's another one by him._ War of the Worlds_. Ain't that a movie?" He turned with a thin book in his hand.

"Yeah, but I've never seen it." Ed didn't allow her to go out much and that was a movie she wouldn't have taken Sophia to.

Daryl shrugged. "Neither have I. It has to be good if they made a movie about it, right?" Carol watched as he walked around the couch and settled on the far end of the couch. She was surprised he hadn't just left the room and for some reason, she felt like a teenaged girl when they both sat to read their books both written by the same author. Did that mean he liked her? Immediately, Carol shook that thought away and brought the book back to her face to read.

Their silent reading was interrupted a few minutes later when Carl declared that he had won. Carol set aside her book and watched Sophia glare at her gloating friend. She started to put the board and pieces back into the box.

"Let's play another game, " Sophia suggested. "I'll beat you this time!" She was confident when Carl took the box and stood. Following his lead, Sophia stood up too but stooped down when she saw Mr. Snuggles fall from her lap.

"How come you carry that thing everywhere?" Carl asked, which caused Sophia to clutch the animal tighter to her chest.

"It used to be my mom's." Carol detected a hint of pride in Sophia's tone. "She gave it to me when I was five."

Out of the corner of her eye, Carol saw Daryl put down his book and look at her, an odd expression written on his face.

"Aren't you twelve, like me?" Carl continued his questions on Sophia's bunny. "Isn't that a little too old to still have a stuffed animal?"

"Carl," Carol decided to intervene with a smile at the boy. "You can never be too old for a stuffed animal. Especially, Mr. Snuggles. Right, Sophia?"

"Right!" Sophia's brown eyes sparkled as she agreed with her mother.

Carol felt the couch shift slightly when Daryl suddenly tensed. She looked over at him, to see if there was something wrong. Daryl only looked at her briefly before he stood up and fled the room. Carol watched his retreating form and wondered what was wrong. She debated getting up to follow him, but then Lori breezed into the room.

"Some people are so rude," Lori muttered. She smiled when she saw Carol and approached her. "Sorry about being late. Things with Rick lasted...longer than I thought they would."

Carol noticed how wet Lori's hair still was and she understood. "It's all right. You don't know when you'll be able to _shower_ again." Carol winked and the two friends sat back on the couch to watch their children begin a game of _Battleship_.

"So, why was Daryl in here?" Carol knew the question was going to come up sooner or later. It was no secret that Lori didn't like Daryl, especially when he had gone after Rick with a knife for having left his brother handcuffed on a roof.

"He came in to get a book and read." Carol ignored the way Lori's eyes grew. 'And then, for some reason, he left suddenly and with no words. I think it might have been something I did, but I don't know what."

Seeing Daryl sitting there had done something to Carol. She knew he liked his space and thought that once he found himself a book, he'd leave the room, but he surprised her when he sat on the opposite end of the couch. He was willing sitting by her and it caused Jacqui's words to come back. Maybe Daryl wasn't just being a good man by keeping on eye on them. Maybe he was actually interested in her.

Ha. That outrageous thought almost caused her to smile cynically but she didn't want Lori to ask about it.

"It must have been something bad because he was really booking it down the hallway." Lori chuckled and folded her legs underneath her on the couch.

Carol sighed. What could it have possibly been? They had been silent up until Carl had announced he'd won the game and then, all of Carol's attention had been drawn to her daughter. Maybe later she'd ask him and apologize for whatever it was.

"Carol," Lori had sidled right up to her. "Listen, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I care for you and I don't think you should be around Daryl. He's been known to be unstable and...I don't want you to get hurt."

Carol shot to her feet. "Daryl wouldn't hurt me!" Sophia and Carl stopped playing at the sound of her outburst, but Carol didn't pay them any mind. "I'm grateful for you, Lori, I am. You're a great friend and I know I haven't known Daryl long, but he's a good man. He's got a vicious temper, but deep down, I know he's good."

Lori looked ashamed for a moment. "I'm sorry, Carol. I just don't want to see you get hurt, especially now that Ed is gone."

Carol gave her friend a grateful smile. "I'll be fine, Lori. Thank you for caring." Turning to Sophia, she made sure the game of _Battleship_ was over. "Come on, Sophia. It's late. Let's get to bed."

Sophia nodded, bade Carl goodnight, clutched Mr. Snuggles to her chest and followed Carol out of the room.

* * *

Breakfast that morning was quiet as many of the group supported hangovers from their drinking the night before. Carol was glad she had only one glass of wine with her meal and now, was happily eating some of the eggs T-Dog had cooked up with Sophia. Sleeping on a bed had done wonders for her mood and she had gladly volunteered to do the dishes.

One thing that bothered her, though, was the fact that Daryl hadn't joined them at the breakfast table. Carol had hoped to pull him aside after the meal and apologize for whatever she had done the night before.

"Mom," Sophia spoke from beside Carol. "Do I have to help you with the dishes?" Her nose scrunched up in disgust. Doing the dishes was one chores Sophia had never volunteered to help her mother with when they were home.

"Of course not, honey." Carol smiled and stood up. "Why don't you go back to our room and get dressed, okay?"

Sophia looked relieved and happily nodded before taking off down the hallway. Carl wasn't far behind and Lori was standing up to collect the empty plates people had left behind.

"We're too nice to our children," Lori grinned. "We should have had them do the dishes, while we propped our feet up and relaxed."

Carol laughed and followed her friend into the kitchen where they filled the sick up with warm water. Carol washed while Lori dried.

They were done in a matter of moments and were off to their rooms to get changed. Carol wished they had been able to clean their clothes while they were here, but Jenner had told them to go easy on the hot water and she'd rather use it for a shower.

She had just slipped a shirt over her head and checked herself in the mirror when the lights went out. Sophia screamed from the bedroom and Carol was running to comfort her. Luckily, there were some emergency lights that automatically kicked in, but the rooms and hallways were still in semi-darkness. Keeping Sophia close, she opened the door to see everyone else doing the same. Jenner walked by and numerous questions were thrown his way.

Carol got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

* * *

This could not be happening.

Finally, after finding some place safe, it was going to be ripped from them, again, and this time they were all going to go down with it. Carol clutched Sophia's sobbing form to her chest and looked up at Jenner. "Please," she begged, tears streaming down her face. "My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" No one deserved to die like this...

Jenner bent down to her level and tried to explain his reasoning for his insane decision, but she didn't want to listen. She stood up, keeping Sophia close and walked away from him. She would not be near the man who was planning to have them all killed.

Daryl was furiously hacking away at the door with an axe and Rick was trying to convince Jenner to let them leave.

After awhile, Jenner finally relented and the doors slid open. The group wasted no time in getting through. Carol gripped Sophia's hand and ran, but they weren't completely free, yet. No matter how hard they tried, the men of the group could not break through the glass windows that led to the outside.

Carol, then, remembered the grenade she had taken from Rick's pocket and with a shaky hand gave it to the man himself. Fortunately, the grenade broke through the glass and they were running to their vehicles. Daryl ran in front of her and Sophia and cut down a path through the walkers.

Carol owed this man her life several times over, now. All she had to do now was find a way to repay him.

* * *

**Do you all like that I show both Carol and Daryl's POV on the same things or should I do something different?**

**On a different note, how about that episode Sunday? I never cried so hard in an episode, which is weird because I cried when Merle died, but not that much. Even now, I'll go on a tumblr see gifs or pictures from the episode and tear up. It was just so heartbreaking, but Melissa McBride did a wonderful job and Tyreese was amazing, as well. We need more of those kind of episodes. After the last few episodes with Daryl and Beth, it was almost like I was watching another show this week and I mean that in a VERY GOOD way. If any of you want to talk about it, I am all ears! Just PM me. I'd love to hear from you! :)**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter gave me SO much trouble. I seriously had to start it over like six times and that's the reason why its taking me so long to update. Normally, the chapters for this will be longer, but I decided to cut this chapter in half. This chapter is in both POVs of Daryl and Carol, which is also different from previous chapters. This is their flight from the CDC and based of the deleted scene in season two. It ISN'T exactly like the scene at all. Some of it comes directly from it, like the part at the end, but most of it is not like it at all! I hope that doesn't bother anyone!**

**Oh, and I would also like to thank FinntheHuman1697. If it wasn't for the rant fest we had earlier about a certain character, I would still be feeling pretty down and unable to write. You're the best and this chapter is dedicated to you! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

_**Daryl**_

Daryl's hands shook as they gripped the steering wheel of his truck. He kept his eyes on the caravan of vehicles in front of him and made sure not to look at the still smoldering remains of the CDC. Thirty more seconds and they would have all been still in there if it hadn't been for Carol. They would have all gone up in flames if she hadn't pulled a fucking _grenade_ from her Mary Poppin's bag. Seriously, that bag seemed to have _everything._

Jacqui and Jenner had decided to opt out in the fiery explosion. Daryl would rather get bit by a walker than go out that way. Quick death or not. He tried not to think about his mother and how she must have felt when... Nope, he couldn't think about it.

Chewing on his thumbnail, a nervous habit he had since he was small, Daryl kept on eye on the vehicle in front of him. He didn't care where they were headed as long as they got far away as possible from the pile of rubble that was now the CDC. The plan was probably to go to Fort Benning and while the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of other refugees; Daryl would gladly stay there if it meant he'd be safe and if he was able to stay near _Carol._

Now, that he knew who she had been to him so long ago, Daryl's need to protect her and Sophia grew even more than before. Carol had been his best friend and the only person who hadn't cared that he was some dirty redneck with a horrible home life. Since he remembered Carol, all his memories of that time spent with her came flooding back to him. It was as if he had built a wall around them the moment Merle's truck drove away from their old home and now, seeing Carol's beautiful blue eyes again, had torn it down.

Daryl still wasn't sure to do about her, now that he knew who she was. Should he keep on pretending as if they had never been friends? Surely, she had changed since he was eleven and she had a daughter; there was no way she'd want her daughter to be around a man like him. Right?

He was so deep in his thoughts about Carol that he almost rear-ended the vehicle in front of him, which had stopped. They had only been on the road for a few minutes, so they couldn't have found a place already.

Rick and Shane stepped out of the RV, followed by Glenn. T-Dog made his way from his church van and joined them. Daryl debated if he should join them, but didn't know if they'd want the 'violent redneck' to devise a plan with. Rick turned, hand shielding his eyes from the sun and when he spotted Daryl's truck, he motioned him over. Masking the shock from his face, Daryl stepped out of his truck, grabbed his crossbow, since he didn't go anywhere without it, and made his way to the group of men, cautiously.

"We're discussing what our next move should be," Rick informed him once he got near. "If you have any suggestions, we'd like to hear them."

Shane made a noise and rolled his eyes. Daryl chose to ignore him. The last thing the group needed right now was to break up a fistfight. Daryl knew Shane was just butthurt that since Rick had made an appearance; Rick's wife had gone around ignoring him.

Clutching the strap of his crossbow, Daryl shook his head. "I got nothin'."

"Shane wants to go to Fort Benning," Rick started speaking again. "I think we should do it, but first, we'll need a place to rest a bit. The women and kids are quite distressed after the recent events, as they well should be."

"What about the nursing home?" Glenn spoke up and suggested. "Do you think G would let us stay there for a night? It is on our way to Fort Benning."

Rick nodded his head. "We could do that. Rest for the night and head to Benning." He looked over at his best friend. "How does that sound to you, Shane?"

Shane ran a hand through his hair. "Sounds good to me, but what if these people don't let us stay. What then, Rick?"

"They'll let us in." Rick stepped forward, making sure to maintain eye contact with Shane. "We have to try. We can't all sleep in the cars, tonight and with everything with the CDC, they all need someplace to rest safely."

Shane looked like he was about to say something to argue, but changed his mind at the last minute. "All right, Rick. Let's go." T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl all looked at one another, all thinking the same thing. Why had they been allowed to this meeting if it was only going to be hashed out by the two officers? Glenn had made the suggestion, but that was all he had done. The rest of them just stood around and looked pretty.

* * *

**Carol**

Carol stopped her Cherokee when everyone else stopped their cars. She looked out the window to see the men gather in a group by the RV. Sophia unhooked her seatbelt and crawled into Carol's lap to look outside, as well.

"What do you think they're talking about, mom?" Sophia's big brown eyes looked up at her.

Carol smoothed down her daughter's frizzy blonde hair. "I don't know, honey. They should tell us when they're finished talking."

"Do you think we'll finally be safe wherever we're going?" Carol's hand stopped moving on Sophia's hair. She couldn't answer this question truthfully.

"I don't know." Carol hated saying that. Sophia deserved a definite answer, but no one really knew if they'd _ever_ be safe.

"Mr. Daryl will keep us safe, though, right?" Sophia's question was innocent, but caused Carol to freeze. Daryl had taken to staying close to them, but Carol knew she couldn't expect him to always keep them safe. It wasn't his responsibility. Now, with Ed gone, not like he did anything to protect them to begin with, Carol knew she had to learn to handle some kind of weapon.

The group of men dispersed and moved their separate ways. Carol was surprised when Daryl turned towards the Cherokee and began walking over to them.

* * *

Daryl didn't know what he was doing. He had turned; saw Carol looking out her window at them and then, his feet started moving in her direction. Sophia was huddled on her lap and the pair watched him approach. Getting closer, Carol rolled down the window.

"Is there something wrong, Daryl?"

Daryl's mind went blank for a moment. Why had he come over here, again? "Uh. Jus' wanted to let you know that we're headin' back to Atlanta."

"What?" Carol's hands gripped the door. "Why? Isn't it overrun?" Sophia whimpered and gripped her mother tighter.

"There's a nursin' home, there, full of decent people. They'll let us stay the night and then, tomorrow we'll head to Fort Benning." Daryl hoped that his words would ease their worry.

"Is that the place you found when you were all looking for...Merle?" Daryl noticed the hesitation before Carol spoke his brother's name. She wasn't sure how he was going to react to it. His name still stung to be heard, but Daryl was starting to accept the fact that he was never going to see Merle again.

"Yeah, it was. They're good people. We'll be safe, there." _Hopefully._

Both mother and daughter visibly relaxed at the news and Daryl hoped what he said was true, for their sakes. With the life they had lived before the world had ended, Carol and Sophia deserved, more than anyone, a chance to relax and be carefree, at least for a night.

A sharp knocking on glass had Daryl whipping around. Shane was sitting in the passenger's seat of the RV and was gesturing angrily at Daryl. Daryl resisted the urge to flip the man off and turned back to Carol.

"I gotta go. Shane's throwin' a fit."

Carol reached out the window and grabbed his shoulder before he left. "Thanks for keeping us in the loop. And...thanks for everything else you've done for us, so far. We appreciate it." Sophia nodded eagerly at her mother's words.

So, Carol had noticed how close he kept by them and didn't seem to mind. Daryl ducked his head when he felt his face flush. "It ain't nothin'." He didn't wait for her to say anything else and turned to jog back to his truck.

When he passed the RV, Shane called out the window. "You're lucky we didn't leave your ass behind, Dixon. We're wastin' daylight here." This time Daryl did flip him off before climbing into his truck.

* * *

Carol let the RV drive in front of them. T-Dog had been the one to lead them all away from the CDC. Besides, Carol, Sophia and Daryl, T-Dog had been the only one who hadn't piled into the RV when the CDC blew up. They had left Shane's Jeep behind. It was clear they had no place in mind when they fled the explosion, but they knew they had wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

Sophia slid back into her seat, buckled up and picked up Mr. Snuggles from where he had fallen on the floor. Carol, even though it was just a stuffed animal, was glad that Sophia had been able to save the rabbit. It was the one thing that Sophia clung to in all those horrible years spent with Ed and it really calmed her down in the dark moments of their lives.

"Mommy, do you think Mr. Daryl likes you?" Sophia turned her skinny body to face her mother more, brown eyes wide with innocence.

"Of course, honey. We're friends."

"Mom!" Sophia cried, exasperated. "That's not want I meant. Do you think he like _likes_ you?"

Carol felt her face heat up. "No, Sophia. He doesn't like _like_ me."

Sophia sighed loudly and fell back into her seat. If Carol didn't know any better, it looked like Sophia _wanted_ her and Daryl to get together.

* * *

Daryl knew there was something wrong the moment their caravan of vehicles pulled up to the entrance to the nursing home. No one came out to greet them. They had to have heard them drive up, especially if they had someone on watch.

Grabbing his crossbow, he joined everyone else who was gathering by the RV. Lori and Carol stood by their kids. Daryl noticed that whenever Carol was out in the open with Sophia, she had contact with her in some way. They had clasped hands while running from the CDC and now, Carol had an arm wrapped around her daughter and held her close.

"Stay behind us," Rick looked Carol and Lori in the eye. Shane's mouth tightened in a thin line at the scene and Daryl smirked at the man. Shane was an asshole and Daryl was enjoying seeing him stew over the fact Lori wasn't interested in him, anymore.

"Daryl?" Rick looked at him. "You ready?"

Sliding his crossbow off his shoulder, he held it up. "As I'll ever be."

What they found in the courtyard had Daryl's blood turning to ice and a bad feeling to settle in his gut. The yard was full of bodies. Some were dead and others were reanimated, feasting on the dead. Daryl recognized some of the bodies from when he was here, earlier.

Someone gasped behind him and he turned to see Carol covering her mouth with a hand. Sophia turned her face into Carol's chest, whimpering at the sight. "What happened?" She looked at him, blue eyes wide with fear. That was a look he never wanted to see in them.

"Let's get inside," Rick said before Daryl could answer. "I don't like being out in the open." No one argued with him and the men stayed in front to scout out the rest of the building.

Taking Glenn, Shane and Daryl with him, Rick led them to the second floor. T-Dog stayed behind with the rest of the group. The first thing Daryl noticed when they searched each room was that the bodies all had bullet holes through their skulls. Walkers didn't do this. People did and for all he knew, they could still be hanging around ready to get them.

Once they cleared out a few rooms for them to stay the night in, Rick motioned for them to head back. Leading the group to the cafeteria, which they had cleared out earlier, he broke the news to everyone.

"There's no one alive, here."

"What happened?" Andrea looked around at the bodies. "Looks like they got overrun."

Daryl couldn't help but make a noise. It was clear that this wasn't done by walkers and Andrea, having been a lawyer, should have been smart enough to know that.

The blonde woman turned to him, a haughty expression on her face. "Something to say?"

"Yeah," he spat, hating the way she was looking at him. Like he was stupid. "How about observant?"

"Observant? Big word coming from a guy like you."Andrea rolled her eyes. "Three whole syllables."

"Andrea!" Carol spoke from where she stood behind everyone, an angry expression on her face. "That was uncalled for!" Everyone looked at her in shock. Daryl spared her a glance before zeroing back on Andrea. No one had ever stood up from him before and he'd make sure to thank her later.

"Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't show up until _after_ all this went down." He gestured to all the bodies. "Somebody attacked this place, killed all these people, took whatever they wanted. They were all shot in the head, execution style." Daryl looked at each of them. "Y'all worried about walkers? I'd more worried about the people who came and did this." Then, he looked Andrea right in the eye. "Get a dictionary. Look it up. Observant." Putting Andrea in her place, he pushed past Glenn and Rick and left the room.

* * *

**My favorite part in the whole deleted scene was Daryl telling Andrea off. I hoped you liked the little twist of Carol sticking up for him. I did! :) The next chapter shouldn't take that long, but I guess it all depends on what happens on Sunday's episode. I am so nervous and scared. Gah!**

**Anyways, thank you all for reading! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter didn't really go the way I had planned, but I liked how it turned out and I hope you all do, too. :)**

**Chapter Seven**

After a light meal of stale potato chips and warm bottled water, Daryl grabbed the bottle of alcohol Shane had found and went to relieve T-Dog from watch. Lori had warned them about taking it easy on the booze, but he was no lightweight and he figured he deserved to let loose after the week he had.

Shane was supposed to be the next on watch, but Daryl couldn't stand one more moment in the cramped room they all decided to lay down in. The Grimes family was huddled together, Carl smashed between his parents. Shane sat near by and stole glances at the family when he thought no one was looking. Glenn and Dale sat together talking quietly, while Andrea sat off by herself. She was still unhappy with the decision Dale had forced on her. Then, there was Carol. She sat in the corner of the room awake with Sophia curled by her side, sound asleep.

When he stood up to take watch, she looked up and gave him a smile. A smile started to twitch on his lips, however, he stopped it from becoming full blown and just nodded before slipping out the door.

Setting his crossbow down first, Daryl took a seat at the top of the stairs and took a long drag from the bottle in his hands. A warmth settled in his stomach and he leaned against the hand rail. It was going to be a long, boring night, but at least he wasn't inside the stuffy room with everyone.

Especially when many of them weren't making it a secret that they didn't like him. Andrea was still sore from earlier, even though she had deserved it, Shane and Lori gave him more dirty looks than normal ones. T-Dog and Glenn were weary around him because of Merle and Dale didn't go out of his way to talk with the youngest Dixon. The only person who willingly talked to him was Carol. Not that he minded. She and her daughter were the only people he could stand in this group.

"May I join you?" Speak of the devil. Daryl turned and saw Carol standing behind him. Somehow, she had opened and closed the door without him knowing. Her hands were wringing in front of her, an unsure look on her face.

Sliding his crossbow behind him, Daryl held out a hand to the now empty spot beside him. He hadn't expected company, but Carol's company was greatly welcomed. Especially after what she had done earlier. Carol had stuck up for him against Andrea and no one had ever done that for him before.

Carol smiled and moved to settle next to him. The staircase was narrow and their shoulders brushed against each other, but Daryl didn't mind.

"I thought Shane had watch after T-dog," Carol said and turned her head to look at him. "You should be in there trying to get some sleep."

"So, should you. Besides, it's too crowded in there for me and I decided to take Shane's watch. He'd rather keep on eye on Lori than a staircase, anyways." _Fuck_. He hadn't meant to say that. Lori was Carol's friend.

"You noticed that, too, huh?" Carol wrapped her thin arms around her knees and turned her attention forward. "They need to be careful about that, now that Rick's back. With everything the man's been through to get back to his family, he doesn't deserve what Lori has done to him." Carol sighed. "I understand she thought her husband dead, but to jump into another man's arms so soon?"

Daryl remained silent and listened. With the exception of Sophia, Carol didn't speak much to anyone, either. Sure, she spoke to Lori and Jacqui, when she was alive, but Daryl noticed that she didn't really go out of her way to speak to anyone. Which apparently wasn't the case with him.

"She should consider herself lucky to have a husband so devoted to her." Daryl could hear the pain in Carol's voice. He knew that Ed had been anything but devoting, unless it came to a beating. Daryl's fists clenched. "I know she's ignoring Shane, now, but it's only a matter of time before everything comes out in the open."

"Yeah." Daryl winced at how articulate he was tonight. This was _Carol_. He had always been able to talk to her before. Well, that was before she had grown boobs.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Daryl racked his brain for something to say. He was afraid that if they didn't start talking soon, Carol would leave and well...he didn't want that.

"Carol?" Daryl rarely ever called people by their names. For some reason, it felt too intimate, but he did like saying Carol's name. "Wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Carol's delicate eyebrows rose in surprise and her pretty blue eyes widened. "For what?"

"If it wasn't for you, we'd all would have been incinerated."

"You should thank Rick for that, not me. It was his grenade." Carol didn't look at him and Daryl knew that she hadn't been thanked for much in her life and yet, from what he saw at the Quarry, she did a lot for everyone.

"No, it was you. You took the damn thing and brought it out when we needed it the most. Everyone here owes you their life."

"Except you." Her voice was so low that if Daryl hadn't trained himself to hear every little noise he probably wouldn't have heard it.

"What?"

"I've noticed how close you've hung around me and Sophia. You've been looking out for us since Ed was killed and I appreciate it. Running from the CDC, you cut down those walkers in front of us and I consider that you saving our lives, Daryl."

He shrugged. "It's ain-"

She grabbed his shoulder suddenly. He didn't even flinch at her touch. "Don't you say it wasn't anything, Daryl Dixon. My daughter is the only thing I have in this world and watching you go out of your way to protect her, well, it shows me how great of a man you are."

No one had ever called him a good man. Especially when he was seen with Merle. He was always looped into whatever his dumbass brother did and even though, he didn't do half the shit Merle did, he still got the same reputation.

"Since we're on the subject of thankin', I should thank you for sayin' what you did to Andrea."

"What she said was uncalled for, Daryl. Everyone should know that. You're not stupid." She leaned close and Daryl couldn't move. "To tell you the truth," she looked around, a smile on her face and acting like she had some big secret. "I think you're the smartest one in this whole group."

What? Ha. All those years ago, she had asked if he had known who Christopher Columbus was and he had no idea. Every kid in America knew who that was. "Pfft."

"It's true!" Carol turned serious. "If this group were to split for some reason, I would follow you." Her face turned red and she didn't look at him. Daryl froze at her words. She would follow him?

"You'd trust your little girl with me?"

"Hell yes," Carol said resolutely.

Daryl felt his heart flutter in his chest. God, he was turning into such a pussy. Two words from Carol and he felt like he was going to have a heart attack.

"Do you remember back at the CDC when I asked if we knew each other?" Daryl nodded, unable to speak. "You said no, but...I can't help but feel that we've met before and I'm going to find out from where."

_ We were best friends almost thirty years ago._ Daryl wanted to say. _We were lost in the woods together. We became best friends.__ I saved you from a wild dog. You kissed me..._

He kept his mouth firmly shut.

Carol didn't look like she was done speaking, but the sound of the door opening had them both turning around. Sophia stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Mama, I had a nightmare."

Carol stood up, instantly going into mother mode. "All right, honey. I'll be right there. Just let me say goodnight to Mr. Daryl."

"'Kay," Sophia mumbled and walked back into the room.

Carol looked down at him. "Thanks for talking with me, Daryl. I appreciate it." She walked up the step and stopped. "Oh, and it is pretty crowded in there, but if you decided to come in and sleep, Sophia and I made a space for you. If you want it."

"Oh," Daryl looked up at her. "Uh, thanks, Carol."

"You're welcome." She placed a gentle hand on his bare shoulder. "Goodnight."

"Night," he mumbled back and listened as she walked back to the room and closed the door. It took everything in him to not jump to his feet and follow Carol back inside.

Fuck. He was getting ridiculous.

**-Flashback-**

_ "Pick out anything you want, Daryl!" Carol's voice drifted over to him from where she was an __aisle__ over. Instead of his focus on the row of candy in front of him, Daryl kept an eye on __the__ attendant behind the counter who was giving him a glare. Even at nine, no one liked the youngest Dixon._

_ Carol walked into his aisle a bottle of Coke in each hand. "Come on. My dad gave me five dollars and I plan on spending it all in here. Now, grab whatever you want."_

_ Candy was a rare thing in the Dixon household and Daryl had no idea what to get. "What do you want, Carol?" There were too many choices and Daryl didn't want to grab anything that Carol didn't like, After all, it was her allowance money they were going to spend._

_ "I like everything! Just grab whatever you want, my hands are f__ul__l." She held up the two cold bottles of Coke in her hands._

_ Daryl chewed on his thumbnail for a second, felt the hot __glare__ of the attendant still on his back and reached for the candy bars in front of him._

_ "Well," He jumped at the voice. "What do we have here?" Two boys around Carol's age walked up behind Daryl. Carol looked like she recognized them._

_ "Is that little Carol Reed?" The boy farthest away, from the pair sneered. Both boys were big for their size, but Carol was also tall for hers and stood just a few inches shorter than them._

_ "It is. __What do you want, Josh?" She looked at the other boy, the one closest to Daryl. "Sam?"_

_ Sam laughed. "Oh, nothing, really. I just want to know why you're hanging out with this trash?"_

_ Josh stepped closer. "Why don't you ditch this loser and come hang with us?"_

_ Daryl had his head down and clenched his fists. Merle would have had the two boys laid out on the ground and crying to their moms. Daryl couldn't do that. _

_ "Um, no thank you!" Carol said with a bright smile that dripped with fake sweetness. "Now, if you'll leave us, we're trying to pick out some candy."_

_ Josh grabbed one of the Daryl's arms and Carol was instantly there, shoving him away. She had set both bottles down on the ground when the two boys had approached them. "Don't you touch him." _

_ Josh and Sam just smirked and looked at one another. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Daryl. "So, you're going to let a _girl_ do your fighting?" Sam __elbowed__ Josh and they laughed._

_ "You should be lucky Daryl isn't fighting you because if he was, you'd each have broken noses and running to your mommies. You do know his bother _is_ Merle Dixon, right?" Carol looped her arm through one of Daryl's. "And, of course, he's taught his brother all of his fighting ways."_

_ Fear flickered briefly across Sam and Josh's face. They, of course, knew all about Merle Dixon and the last thing they wanted was to tangle with someone just like him. Josh was the first to put back his tough face. "You know what, forget you two, then. You can have each other and Carol, you aren't _that_ pretty, __anyways__." He nudged Sam. "Come on. Let's get out of here."_

_ Carol watched them leave the store with a smirk on her face. "Good riddance." She turned back to the candy. "Back to business, Daryl. Now, pick."_

* * *

Daryl was startled awake by the sound of people moving around. He opened his eyes and was met with the gray wall of the room they all had slept in. Nearby, Carol sat with Sophia, who had just woken up and was now, stretching. Carol gave him a sleepy smile before turning back to her daughter and smoothing down her blonde hair.

Two hours after Carol had left him last night, Shane had come out to finally take a turn at watch and Daryl had no choice but to go into the crowded room. Just like she had said, there was a space for him to lie down near Carol and Sophia. It was near the wall, but no where near anyone else. It was perfect to him.

"Okay," Rick announced to the room . "Let's all eat a quick breakfast and hit the road. I want to get to Fort Benning before night fall."

Everyone mumbled their agreements.

A small bag of chips landed in his lap and Daryl looked up to see Carol passing out the remaining vending machine food to the rest of the group. The chips weren't much, but at least they were something. A bottle of water appeared in front of his face. He looked up and saw that it was Sophia holding the bottle out to him. "Here you go, Mr. Daryl."

"Thanks," he mumbled and took the water. The rest of the group sat around in small huddles and spoke in sleepy mumbles to one another. Daryl stayed right where he has woken up, leaned against the wall, and watched Carol walk around the room passing out breakfast with Sophia not far behind.

To his surprise, once they passed out all the food, they walked over to where he was and sat down.

"Morning, Daryl." Carol smiled and opened her bag of Doritos. "I hope you slept well."

"Um, yeah, I did. Uh, did you?" Daryl felt awkward asking how she slept, but he wanted to return the sentiment.

"I did. Thank you." Sophia watched the exchange between the two adults. A smile began to spread across the little girl's face. Daryl didn't like the look of that smile. It reminded him of the smiles Merle would get when he started to think up one of his 'good ideas'.

Daryl was finished with his chips and when he looked over to Carol, he froze. She was sucking the Dorito powder off each of her fingers and the sight was causing some blood to rush south of his belt. _Fucking great._ He needed to get out of here. Crumbling up his garbage, he stood up. The only place he could go was the hallway.

"Daryl, wait." Carol's voice stopped him before he could open the door. "I was wondering if you could go with me. I wanted to check some of the rooms to see if there are any blankets, pillows or any other supplies we can use."

That was the _last_ thing he wanted to do, especially with his little problem. However, he found himself nodding and waiting out in the hallway for Carol to make sure all of her and Sophia's meager belongings were packed and ready to go.

She slipped out the door and gave him a bright smile. "Ready?" The way she was asking, it was like they were going on a stroll through a park and not scavenging the rooms of dead patients.

"I guess." He grunted and swung his crossbow to hang across his back. Rick, Shane, Glenn and him had cleared out the area the day before and hopefully, he would have no reason to use it, but Daryl didn't want to be caught unprepared.

"I was wondering, Daryl." Carol stood slightly behind him when he opened the first room. "If you could teach me how to use a weapon."

Daryl stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "What?" His eyes narrowed.

"I need to use a weapon, Daryl." Carol skirted around until she stood right in front of him. "I need to learn how to protect my child. You're a good man, but I can't always expect you to constantly keep on eye on us."

Daryl didn't like the idea of Carol _having _to use a weapon, but he knew where she was coming from. Reaching down, he unstrapped the knife at his belt and he handed it to her. "Here."

"But this is yours." Carol said, taking a little step back. "I can't take it from you."

"Well, you don't have a weapon of your own and I have another one in my truck."

Carol gingerly took the knife from him and tested its weight in her hand. Daryl almost thought she'd give it back, but then she looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you. When, we get out of here maybe you can teach me how to properly use it? Maybe at Fort Benning?"

He nodded. "Sure. I can do that."

Then, Carol did something totally unsuspected, but not unwelcome, she went up on her tiptoes, placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Daryl and Carol returned with arms full of blankets and pillows. Daryl's cheek still tingled from the unexpected kiss and that was all he could think about as they searched each room. Carol had chattered on and he'd only half-listened, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, this is wonderful," Lori gushed when she saw the pair. Completely ignoring Daryl, she took some of the blankets from Carol. "It's going to be getting pretty chilly soon and I'm sure they can use more blankets at Fort Benning."

"That's what I was thinking, too." Carol smiled. "That's why I asked Daryl to come with me and grab some." It was clear that she was trying to get get Lori to acknowledge that Daryl had helped out.

Lori looked briefly at him and her smile wavered, before returning her gaze back to Carol. "Well, Rick wants to leave soon, so I'll take some of these with me."

"Okay and I'll take the rest." Sophia walked up to them after Lori turned to go back to Carl and Rick.

"Hi, mom." She had Carol's bag hanging from one shoulder and a bookbag of their belongings in the other. "Hi, Mr. Daryl."

Daryl grunted his greeting and went to the wall where his bag of belongings laid. Everyone else was ready to go and he made sure to stay close to Carol and Sophia as they exited the building.

* * *

Daryl threw his bag into the back of his truck, where Merle's bike was still tied up. Turning around, he was surprised to find Carol standing right behind him. She jumped back when she saw how close she was to him.

"Somethin' you need?" He asked.

"Rick wanted to get rid of either mine or T-Dog's vehicle and they picked mine, so I was wondering if I could ride with you? Sophia is in the RV with Carl and I thought it was way too crowded for me."

"Uh, sure." He pointed to the book bag in her hand. "Want me to take that?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Okay." She handed it over and watched him put it in the back of his truck. Then, walked around the front and climbed into the passenger's seat. She was slightly nervous to be sitting so close to him, but also felt excited. Daryl seemed to actually like talking with her and she saw it as a sign that maybe he liked her. Maybe not _like_ like her, but like, like a friend and she was okay with that.

Daryl opened the door glanced at her very briefly before starting the truck.

"How come you don't ride the bike?" She asked, hoping to start a conversation. Daryl just shrugged and chewed on the thumbnail of his left thumb. Carol felt a strange sense of...familiarity when she saw that and for the life of her, she couldn't remember why she all of a sudden felt that.

As subtlety as she could, Carol carefully looked over at Daryl as he drove. There was something about him and she knew she was close to figuring it out. The day he and his brother had walked into the Quarry wasn't the first time Carol had set eyes on him. Daryl Dixon had been part of her past somehow and she was going to find out from exactly when.

* * *

**So, how about that season finale? I thought it was kind of blah. Definitely not a season finale worthy episode. What do you all think? I'd love to hear from you about it! :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I started a new story and kind of kept my focus on that this weekend. This chapter contains the infamous highway scene, but only some of it is like the episode. The important parts happen, but they happen in a kind of a different way. Hmm, I don't really know how to explain it without giving it away, so I guess you all just have to read! :) **

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

They had been on the road for a half hour and Carol had long since stopped trying to talk with him. Daryl figured it was because he answered her questions with shrugs and one word. He was still trying to cope with having Carol sitting so close and for such a significant amount of time.

Now that she was silent and looking out the window to her right, Daryl took the opportunity to look over his guest. The tank top she wore was covered in ugly flowers, but the scoop neck did show off a bit of cleavage and the cross necklace she wore dangled just above the neckline. Daryl's eyes traveled up the long, elegant expanse of her lovely neck. Hell, he was going to get into an accident if he didn't tear his eyes away, soon. But God, she was _beautiful._

Keeping his gaze averted last long. This time his eyes traveled downward and that's when Daryl noticed the way Carol's hands wrung in her lap. Looking up he saw that his suspicions were confirmed and Carol was gnawing on her bottom lip. These were all the same signs of nervousness she had twenty-eight years ago.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Turning from the window, Carol fixed him with an irritated glare. "So, now you want to talk?" Daryl just shrugged, realizing too late that it only made her angrier. "Listen, Daryl, if you didn't want me here, then you could have just said so."

"Damn, I was jus' askin' what was wrong. Shit. Forget I even said anything." Daryl wasn't expecting Carol to be angry with him and snapping back was his knee jerk reaction, which he had regretted immediately.

Carol shifted in the seat and sighed. "I'm sorry, Daryl. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Somethin' _is_ botherin' you, then?" Daryl had trouble reading people, but for some reason, he had been able to read Carol easily. Always had been. It was probably because Carol usually wore her emotions on her sleeve.

"It's Sophia," Carol said. "You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but this is the first time I'm not able to see what she's doing." She laughed quietly. "That sounds crazy, doesn't it? I'm overreacting, aren't I?"

When Carol looked at him, Daryl knew that she was waiting for him to answer. "Naw, you ain't overreactin'. You're jus' bein' a good mama. That little girl should consider herself lucky because she can't get into any trouble under your watch. That little Grimes boy, though, his mama doesn't keep a good eye on him and he's goin' to find himself in a whole heap of trouble."

Carol hid a smile behind a hand. "Actually, I'm the one who keeps an eye on him most of the time. I don't mind, though, since he and Sophia are such good friends."

"Sounds like you got yourself a handful, there," he smirked. "You deserve a vacation."

"And what exactly would I do on a _vacation_, now, Daryl." Daryl shrugged because he really had no idea how to answer that. "Oh no," Carol poked him hard in the arm. "We aren't starting that again, Daryl. Use your words."

"I ain't got any words for that." Daryl forced down a smile that threatened to show on his face and they fell into a comfortable silence. Talking with Carol was surprisingly easy and he had been worried about her being so near. He was a damn idiot.

"Oh!" Carol suddenly exclaimed which caused Daryl to jump and swerve the truck. They were lucky they were the last in their caravan of vehicles. Carol realized what she had done and flushed. "Sorry. I just remembered that I had some granola bars in my bag and wondered if you'd want one."

The meager breakfast they had before they left earlier that morning had done nothing to curb the hunger and the mention of the granola bars had Daryl's stomach growling. "Uh, yeah, sure. I'll have one."

"Okay." Carol reached behind them into the cab of the truck and grabbed her bag full of everything. Daryl smirked when the scene of Carol pulling that grenade from that bag came to mind. "Oh, shoot." She muttered softly to herself, but Daryl heard.

"What?"

Carol held up Sophia's stuffed rabbit. "Sophia must have put this in my bag before we left. She's probably missing it, right now."

"She doesn't go without that thing often?"

"No, it's like her best friend. She took it everywhere. School, the store and even outside when she played." Carol smiled fondly at the stuffed animal.

_ Sophia is just like her mama_, Daryl thought. _Especially when it comes to that damn rabbit._

"Well, here you go," she handed him a granola bar and took out another for herself.

Daryl took the offered bat with a nod. "Thanks." Unwrapping the bar, he finished the thing in three large bites but before he could swallow the last bite, he found himself pressing on the brake when Dale's RV slowed down and came to a stop in front of them.

"What's going on?" Carol only had eyes for the RV and looked ready to bolt when they came to a complete stop. Daryl placed a hand on her arm to stop her. The action only shocked him slightly.

"Stay here. I'll see what's goin' on." Grabbing his crossbow from behind him, he opened the door, cautiously.

"But what about-?"

"Your daughter? I'll check up on her, too."

"Thank you." Carol braced her hands on the dashboard and watched him through the windshield. Daryl made sure to go to the RV, first. The door swung open right when he got there and Dale stepped out.

"The hose on my RV went out, just like I said it would." With toolbox in hand, the old man brushed past Daryl and moved to the front of the RV. Glenn wasn't far behind.

Once he was sure no one else would be coming down the steps, Daryl stepped inside and looked around. Sophia and Carl were sitting at the table, a card game laid out in front of them. Sophia waved at him. "Hi, Mr. Daryl."

"Uh, hey." Daryl nodded, awkwardly. "I'm jus' checkin' up on you for your mama. You two stay in here, all right?" The young girl nodded and turned back to their game, but Daryl wasn't done. "And you," he pointed at Carl. "That goes doubly for you." He left the RV without another word and walked up to where Rick and Shane huddled together. They had been riding in T-Dog's van.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked when he got near.

"Well, Dale's RV needs repairs," Rick started. "And it looks like we've run into a snare of vehicles, so we'll be here for awhile."

Shane barely waited until Rick was done talking before he stepped forward. "I say the woman stick around here and scavenge supplies from the vehicles nearby and we go work on moving some of these other cars off the highway." Daryl didn't find anything wrong with that plan and looking at T-Dog, he saw that he didn't have a problem with it, either.

"All right, I'll let Lori know," Rick walked over to the van where Lori was sitting.

"I'll go get Carol," Daryl mumbled, grabbed the strap of his crossbow and walked back to his truck. Carol was still sitting in her seat with blue eyes open wide and alert. When she saw him approach, she opened the door and jogged up to him. Daryl tried to keep his gaze locked on her face and not...other parts of her body.

"So, what's going on? Sophia okay?"

"She's fine. She's in the RV playin' cards with Carl and told them to keep their asses there for now and we ran into a snare on the highway, so me and some of the men are goin' to try clear while you and Lori scavenge for supplies nearby." Once again, Daryl found himself talking more than he usually did and once again, it was with Carol.

"Okay, I think I'm going to have Sophia with me, though. I want to keep on eye on her." Daryl could understand that and nodded.

"Still got that knife I gave you?"

Smiling, she patted her hip. "Yep. It's right here."

"Good. I know I haven't taught you how to use it properly, yet, but if you see any walkers all you gotta do is shove that thing through its eye and that should do the job."

Carol looked a little disgusted, but she nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

Daryl reached out to grab her shoulder, but stopped halfway there. Carol didn't say anything at his hesitation and reached for his shoulder, instead, before brushing past him and heading towards the RV and her daughter. His eyes followed her and may have traveled lower to the sway of her hips, but Daryl would never admit to it.

"Yo, Dixon!" Daryl immediately lifted his eyes and looked to see who was calling him. It was T-Dog. The black man jogged up to him. "We're together and Rick wants us to go up farther ahead to start the clear up, there."

Daryl wasn't too thrilled about being paired up with someone, since he liked to work alone, but working with T-Dog was better than working with Shane. The man had it out for him and the last thing Daryl wanted to do was start a fight while being so vulnerable in the middle of a highway. Taking one last look at Carol, who had grabbed Sophia from the RV, Daryl made his way to T-Dog and together they walked a ways down the highway.

Luckily, for them, the snare wasn't that large and the job to move all the vehicles shouldn't take them long. Daryl was relieved. He didn't like staying out in the open for long.

* * *

"Sophia, honey, you stay close to me, you hear?" Carol made sure to make eye contact with her daughter so that she understood the importance of the situation. Sophia nodded, clutched the stuffed rabbit to her chest and followed Carol obediently.

Carol looked over at Lori was standing in the shade of the RV awning, Carl was up chatting with Glenn who was left in charge of fixing the RV and Dale was on top of the RV keeping watch.

"Doesn't this feel wrong to you, Carol? Taking stuff from these people's cars?"

In response to that, Carol popped open the trunk of a small SUV and began to rifle through what was there. "They aren't going to use them, Lori, and we will."

Lori blew out an annoyed breath and called over to Carl, who walked over to her reluctantly. "You stay by me, Carl. Understood?" The boy nodded but didn't seem to be really paying attention to his mother.

"Mama, look at this!" Sophia held up a beautiful red shirt she had found in the trunk. "I think it's your size. Here."

Carol took the piece of clothing and held it up to her chest. It did look like it would fit. She looked over at Lori, who just gave her a look and Carol felt her face heat up. She moved to put it back but Sophia's small hand stopped her.

"What are you doing, mama? Keep it. I'm sure Mr. Daryl would like to see you in it."

"Sophia!" Carol couldn't believe what her daughter just said.

"What?" Sophia's brown eyes were opened wide in innocence and Carol was wondering where this side of her daughter had been all her life. Carl ran up to them, then, a box in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Sophia, look what I found! It's _Connect Four_."

Sophia looked up at Carol and bounced on her toes. "Can we play, mama? Please?"

Carol smiled and ruffled the girl's hair. The CDC had been the last time the two children were allowed to be kids. "All right, but you two stay right there." She pointed to a space of asphalt that was less than five feet away. "If I move out of the line of sight, you move with me. Got it?" She used her mom voice and both kids nodded.

* * *

Dale used his binoculars to keep an eye out for anything. Looking up ahead, he saw Daryl and T-Dog working to move some of the trucks and cars that blocked their way. The men worked quietly and efficiently. Then, looking over at Rick and Shane, he saw that they were doing the opposite. The two stood close together talking animatedly and Dale wondered what was going on. Shane was a hothead and it was only a matter of time before something escalated between him and Rick. Rick was choosing to ignore the signs, hoping that his best friend was still the same man, but Dale was afraid something drastic was going to have to happen for Sheriff Grimes to see the change in his former deputy.

Making a 180 turn, Dale looked behind them and froze.

_ Walkers_. Hundreds of them. Immediately he dropped flat on the top of the RV and hoped the others saw them, as well.

* * *

Carol had just searched another car and now, had a bag full of clothes that would fit her and Sophia, when someone grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. It was Lori.

"Lori? What's going on?"

"Get under the car, Carol. Walkers." The other woman hissed. Oh God, where was Sophia? Carol tried to get to her feet to get her daughter, but Lori shoved her to the ground and practically dragged her under the SUV.

"Lori, where's Sophia and Carl?"

"I saw them get under a truck by the RV. Now, be quiet."

Carol couldn't believe this. Sophia was somewhere she couldn't see and there were tons of walkers shuffling by. This was her worst nightmare come true. "Lori," she whispered. "I have to get to my daughter. _Now._"

"You'll get torn to shreds if you get out from underneath here." Carol knew it was right and tears sprung to her eyes.

_ Oh God, Sophia, please be safe, baby._

* * *

T-Dog was hurt and with blood spurting everywhere. Fucking great. And it was thanks to Daryl's quick thinking that they hadn't been ripped apart, but lying under the dead body was anything but pleasant. Reanimated dead feet shuffled by and Daryl was just waiting for one to find his hiding spot.

What were Carol and Sophia doing right now? He hoped they were safe and wished that he had been near them to make sure.

* * *

It felt like they had been lying under that SUV for hours. The last few undead stragglers had walked by several minutes prior and Carol didn't waste time to get out from underneath the vehicle and run to where Lori had said Carl and Sophia were.

What greeted her caused her heart to stop.

Carl was by himself.

Lori ran up to him and gathered her son in her arms. Carol grabbed the cross necklace around her neck and twisted it. "Carl, where's Sophia?" She barely was able to keep the hysteria from her voice and tears were sliding down her cheeks.

Carl was crying, too. "She was so scared, Carol and she didn't wait for all the walkers to pass, even though I told her not to go." He pointed to the woods. "Two walkers saw her and she ran into the woods."

"Oh God," she ran over to the railing and looked frantically around. Rick and Shane were instantly there.

"What happened?" Rick demanded.

"My baby!" She cried. "She's in the woods with two of those _things_ chasing after her." Rick didn't waste anytime, vaulted over the railing, and ran into the woods.

"What the fuck is goin' on?" Carol turned and saw Daryl running up to them, crossbow clutched in his hand. His eyes landed on her and before she could stop herself, she was launching herself into his arms.

"Oh God, Daryl. It's Sophia!" She began to sob. "She's gone."

* * *

**I hope the slightly different take on these events was okay for you all. I had to add some more Caryl to it and I doubt you that it bothered you all very much! ;)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait. I redid this chapter like four times and I'm _still_ not happy with it! It's also supposed to be A LOT longer but I decided to split it in two. Hopefully, the next chapter will come easier to me. I think it will. Well, anyways, I hope you all enjoy this!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

_**August 15th 1982**_

_ Daryl hadn't expected a visit from Carol today, but when he walked out of his house__,__ he saw her sitting by their tree. "What's going on?" He asked when he got near. Carol had her knees up to her chest and head buried between them. She looked up, eyes red rimmed from crying, and gave him a watery smile._

_ "Hey, Daryl."_

_ Sinking down beside his friend, Daryl nudged Carol with his shoulder. "Are you okay?" His eyes raked over her and saw that she was wearing a dress, a black one. Daryl had never seen Carol wear a dress before._

_ "Yeah, I'm fine." Daryl could tell that Carol was trying to put on a strong front, but then her chin started to quiver and she quickly buried her head between her knees, again. Daryl had no idea what to do. Was she crying? And if she was, what was he supposed to do to make her feel better?_

_ "You're not fine, Carol." Daryl shifted and faced her fully. "Uh, you can tell me what's botherin' you, if you want."_

_ Carol began to talk but __her knees muffled the sound__ and he didn't understand a word she had said._

_ "Uh, Carol? Can't hear you."_

_ She lifted her head and wiped the stray tears on her cheeks. "I said, I just came back from my grandma's funeral." Straightening out her legs, she smoothed down the black dress, which reached just past her knees. "That's why I'm wearing this."_

_ "Um, uh, you look real pretty in it." Daryl felt his face flame and looked away. It was true, Carol did look pretty and he figured he'd do Merle proud and tell her so._

_ Carol's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you, Daryl."_

_ "You're welcome," he mumbled. "So, your grandma, huh?" Daryl decided to change the subject and knew that she had probably come by to talk about the funeral._

_ "Remember when my mom called me in the other day while you were over a few days ago?" He nodded and she continued, "Well, that was to tell me that my grandma had passed away." Carol sniffed and tears glistened in her eyes, again. "She was my only grandparent left, Daryl."_

_ "I'm sorry." Daryl didn't know what else to say._

_ "I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't even know she was sick!" Carol started to sob, then, and Daryl began to panic. Now, what? He had never seen Carol cry before and he didn't know what to do to make her feel better._

_ Gnawing on his thumb, Daryl just watched as his friend cried her eyes out and felt bad. What did his mama use to do when he cried? It had been so long since she had been alive and it took him awhile to think of a time when he had cried in front of her. Finally, he remembered and with hesitation, he shifted until he was kneeling on his knees and wrapped his arms around Carol's shaking shoulders._

_ Instead of squirming away from his touch, Carol turned and wrapped her arms around him. Daryl flinched at the contact, but kept telling himself that it was only Carol and relaxed. The collar of his shirt was getting soaked, but he didn't care._

_ "Thank you, Daryl," Carol whispered into his neck. " I'm glad you're my best friend."_

* * *

The idea, alone, of having a sobbing woman in his arms should have freaked Daryl out, except he knew Carol and he knew how to calm her down, at least a little. She had been his friend, still was and now, her daughter was missing. Ignoring his previous aversions to touch, he wrapped his arms around Carol and pulled her close. He ignored the looks the other members of the group were giving him. They weren't use to seeing this side of him. The side that he had only reserved for Carol.

Carol clutched him closer and Daryl felt her hot tears soak through the course fabric of his sleeveless shirt. Pulling away, he held her at arm's length and made sure to look straight into Carol's watery, blue eyes. "Carol, look at me," he said softly when her gaze had skittered down to the ground. "I'm goin' to find her. I'm goin' to find Sophia and bring your little girl back to you, all right? I promise." Daryl couldn't remember the last time he had ever made a promise and this was one he was going to make sure he kept.

Lori walked up to them, then, and placed a comforting hand on Carol's shoulder. "Rick's going to bring back, Sophia. You'll see and she'll be just fine." Daryl scowled as the woman wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulder and led her away from him.

Carol looked over her shoulder and gave him a shaky smile. That was enough to set his heart racing. In her eyes, Daryl could see the faith she had in him. Without another word to any of them, he climbed over the rail, slid carefully down the embankment and ran into the woods, hoping that when he came back out he'd have Sophia.

It didn't take long for Daryl to find Rick's tracks. The two shuffling tracks of the walkers after them were also easy to spot and followed closely with Rick's. Daryl hoped the man had located the girl and was now, trying to lead the walkers away before heading to the highway. He shuddered thinking about the possibility of Sophia being by herself in the woods. As a child, he had been terrified when he'd been lost, those eight days before Carol found them, and back then, there hadn't been any man-eating monsters lurking around.

Rustling to his left had Daryl whipping out his crossbow and taking aim. Instead of a walker appearing between the trees and underbrush, it was Rick. Covered in blood and by himself.

Daryl gritted his teeth when he saw no little girl in sight. "Where's Sophia?"

"I left her by a creek less than a quarter mile from here," Rick bent over and rested his hands on his knees. Daryl knew that the man wasn't use to so much running, especially after being shot and laid up in a hospital. "I had to lure the walkers away," he continued. "Told her to stay put until I got back."

"Show me where," Daryl said. He hoped that Sophia had the good sense to stay put. The last thing they needed was for her to be off somewhere in the woods. Daryl knew he was a good tracker and was confident in his abilities, he had made sure to learn them after his own time in the woods. However, it was growing dark and if Sophia was off running around by herself, it would be difficult to find her before nightfall and Carol didn't need to go the night without knowing where her daughter was. It would destroy her.

The trek back to the creek was made in silence. Daryl was keeping an eye out for any stray walkers and Rick for the landmarks that would lead them to where he had left Sophia. What greeted them when they finally reached the creek was an empty creek bed.

"Shit," Rick cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "I told her to stay put."

Daryl felt like he was back on that roof in Atlanta expecting to see Merle, but only finding his hand instead. He had expected to see Sophia where Rick had put her and now, was looking at an empty space. Daryl searched frantically around, hoping to find some of her tracks.

"We have to find her and soon," Daryl growled at Rick, who was still in disbelief. "It's goin' to be gettin' dark soon."

"We have nothing to go on, Daryl. We don't know where she went." Rick had been a cop, not a tracker.

"If I find her footprints, I'll be able to locate her. Jus' look around for small tracks." Daryl was both angry and annoyed at both Rick and Sophia. Rick shouldn't have left her alone and Sophia should have known that someone was going to come back for her and stayed put.

"Daryl!" Rick called from where he was on the other side of the creek. "I think I may have found something." Daryl hopped down to the bank and sloshed through the water to reach Rick. Looking down at where Rick pointed, Daryl was sure that the small footprints were Sophia's. The girl was going the opposite way of the highway.

"They're Sophia's," Daryl confirmed. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Rick grabbed his arm, but quickly let go when Daryl turned to glare at him. No one touched him. Ever. Well, except for Carol. "It's getting dark, Daryl. We need to head back to the rest of the group. Tomorrow we can all come out here and look for her."

"Fuck that," Daryl muttered and turned back around to follow the tracks, again. Once again, Rick stopped him.

"Look, we can't be out here. We won't be able to see worth shit once the sun goes down." Rick was making a compelling argument, Daryl had to admit, but that was Carol's girl out there scared and alone.

Daryl still hesitated, though. He knew that it would be harder to pick up the trail, again in the morning and Sophia would be even further ahead of them. "I can't jus' leave her out here." He didn't realize how soft his voice had gotten until Rick gave him a sympathetic look.

"I understand, Daryl. I do. You can't risk being out here at night, though." He ran another hand through his hair, which Daryl was beginning to see was what he did when upset. "Someone needs to tell Carol what's going on. I've seen you two...and I think it would be best if she heard it from you."

God, Carol. This was going to break her and Daryl wouldn't be surprised if she never talked to him again. After all, he had promised he'd bring her daughter back and now, he was going to return empty-handed.

"Sophia is a smart girl," Rick said and led the way back to the highway. "I'm sure she'll find someplace to hold up for the night and we'll pick up where we left tomorrow morning."

From the brief interactions with Sophia, Daryl could tell that the girl was smart. Running from her hiding spot had been done out of fear and at her age, Daryl would have probably done the same. Tomorrow was a new day and they would have more sunlight and manpower to scour the woods looking for her.

* * *

Carol had never left her spot by the rail. Lori leaned against the closest vehicle and watched her friend carefully. Carl had been there for a while, but his mother set him back to the RV to rest. When Rick and Daryl appeared from the shadows of the woods with no Sophia, Carol felt her world crash and burn around her. She had to grip the metal rail to keep from collapsing in grief. Sophia, her poor baby, was still out there by herself. Or... No. She didn't want to think about _that_ option.

Lori met her husband at the rail and gave him a fierce hug. Everyone else had gathered around when Dale had announced that he spotted them coming from his perch on top his RV. Daryl had eyes only for the ground and Carol only had eyes for Daryl. Rick looked between the two and ushered everyone away and briefed them on what happened quietly.

Daryl approached Carol with hesitate steps and she steeled herself for the worst possible news. "'m sorry, Carol." Fresh tears came to her eyes and she covered her mouth to muffle a sob. "Promised I'd bring her back. Found her tracks, though." He looked up at her hopefully. "I'll go out at first light and pick up where I left off."

Carol sagged in slight relief. She had been afraid that Daryl would tell her Sophia was dead. It still frightened her that her little girl was out there on her own, though. In all her twelve years, Sophia had never been on her own. Carol had always hovered nearby and now, she could quite possibly be running for her life. _Please_, Carol prayed to God. _Please don't let my baby die, Lord. She just got set free from her daddy and she has a chance to be herself, now._

"I'm going to stay here for a while," she said quietly. "Just in case she finds her way back." She would keep her constant vigil until Sophia was back safe.

Daryl nodded. "I'll stay with you." Walking over to the vehicle Lori had been leaning on, he hopped on the hood and sat.

Carol smiled gratefully and turned her attention back to the woods. It had grown considerably darker since the two men had returned and now the trees and bushes looked like one, huge black mass and somewhere in that mass, her daughter was alone and scared.

* * *

Daryl gnawed on his thumbnail and watched the woman in front of him more than he did the woods. He had been surprised that she hadn't gotten angry with him for not returning Sophia to her. She had accepted his apology, even though there was clearly pain and sorrow in her eyes. He couldn't imagine what she was going through right now.

He wondered if he should tell her of the time he was lost in the woods. She'd definitely remember who he was, then, or he hoped. After a few minutes of debate, Daryl decided not to tell her, now. Maybe there would be another chance for that. Maybe after they found Sophia safe and alive.

Yeah, he'd tell her, then.

* * *

Sophia had never been so scared in her short life. The nights her daddy would come home drunk and yelling didn't even compare to being chased by two creatures that hungered for her flesh. Mr. Rick had found her and despite her urgings to shoot the things, he didn't and made her stay hidden by the creek. He had told her to stay put and she had planned to do just that, but then another one of things had fallen down the bank right by her hiding spot and she knew she had to run.

Now, it was almost completely dark and Sophia had no idea where she was. She was lost. Clutching Mr. Snuggles closer to her chest, she whimpered when she heard something rustling to her right and kept running. Something dark and big loomed in front of her and Sophia almost wept when she saw it was a house.

She had no weapon and opening the door to the rickety house, she hoped there would be no walkers inside. Listening carefully, she slipped inside. Nothing growled or lunged for her, so she found that an extremely good thing. However she was going to take precautions. The living room was the first room she walked in and she grabbed a blanket that was draped over the back. The kitchen was the next thing and she was surprised to see two cans of sardines on the counter. Her stomach grumbled and she was glad she actually liked sardines.

She grabbed them and walked straight to the small pantry right there in the kitchen. This would be where she'd sleep. With the door closed firmly shut, she hoped no one or thing would be able to tell she was in there. Opening the sardines, she used her fingers and ate them quickly. She'd save the other one for later since she didn't know how long she'd be there. Hopefully, someone would come looking for her soon.

* * *

**I know you all were expecting Daryl to find Sophia in this chapter, but it was always my plan that he wouldn't. I hope no one is disappointed! Obviously things will be veering from canon , _some_ things anyway ;)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter was supposed to be much longer but I'm posting this at a McDonalds because where I will be at for the weekend doesn't have wifi and I really wanted to get this out now, so you all wouldn't have to wait until Monday for an update. I really really like this chapter and I hope you all think the same! :)**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

_**September 4th 1982**_

_Carol wasn't in her backyard waiting for him like she usually did every Saturday since they had started school two weeks ago. Daryl still went to the local elementary school and Carol was now at the middle school, so they were hardly able to see each other during the week anymore. He'd never admit it aloud, but Daryl missed hanging out with his best friend everyday like they had in the summer. Why couldn't he be just like Merle and quit school? Because Carol would be still in school, that's why and she'd be disappointed if he'd quit. Daryl never wanted Carol to ever be disappointed in him._

_Walking over to Carol's swing set, Daryl sat down on one of the swings and used his foot to gently swing him. Hopefully, Carol would come out soon. It wasn't like they had anything planned for the day, he just felt a tad bit awkward sitting by himself in her yard. There were no cars in the driveway, which meant Carol's parents weren't home, so they wouldn't know he was there. Daryl wondered if she had ever told her parents about him. How would they react of they knew their daughter was playing with a Dixon? Probably forbid her from seeing him again. There wasn't much love for the Dixons around there. He had his daddy and pa to thank for that._

_When Carol still hadn't appeared after several minutes, Daryl decided that he'd knock on the door. Maybe she was still sleeping. It was well after noon, but Daryl knew that Carol liked to sleep in whenever she could. More often than not, they wouldn't hang out until after eleven during the summer. Daryl was an early riser and would always wait for Carol by their tree._

_A few minutes after he knocked, the door was flung open and Carol stood there with a large smile on her pretty face. "Happy birthday, Daryl!" She exclaimed._  
_Daryl was shocked. He had completely forgotten that he had told her about when his birthday was and he never thought she'd actually remember it. No one in his family, not even his mother, had remembered his date of birth._

_"Come in," Carol stepped to the side and motioned for him to step into the house. When he hesitated, she sighed, wrapped a hand around his, and tugged him in. Daryl stumbled with the unexpectedness of it and Carol giggled. "Finally, got you inside." She let go._

_"Yeah," he mumbled. "Against my will."_

_"I guess you don't want your present, then." Carol said flippantly and crossed her arms over her chest._

_Daryl's head snapped up. Carol had gotten him a present. "What?"_

_"You heard me. Now, take off your boots and follow me." Daryl quickly did as he was told and was soon following Carol into what looked to be her kitchen. _

_Something smelled good and his mouth began to water. All he had for breakfast that morning had been a stale piece of toast and now, his stomach was starting to protest its emptiness._

_"Smells good," he said and stood in the doorway. Carol had gone to the stove and began scooping something on to two plates._

_"I made grilled cheese." She turned with a plate in each hand. "Is that okay? I mean, it is your birthday lunch, after all."_

_"'S'fine." It was more than fine, actually._

_"Good," she gave him another bright smile and set one of the plates down. Daryl quickly took the seat and Carol sat across from him. He didn't waste any time digging into his meal. That was when he found out how much he loved grilled cheeses._

_"Do you like them?" Carol had only taken two bites of her sandwich and he was almost done with his._

_"Yeah. They're really good. Thanks."_

_Carol smiled triumphantly and continued to eat her lunch. When Daryl was finished with his meal, he sat and looked over at his friend. Was this all a dream? Was he still asleep on his shitty mattress at home? Because everything Carol had done for him today had been something no one else had ever done. How had he gotten so lucky to have met someone like her? Nothing good had happened to him in all of his ten years, except for her. Instead of cursing the day he got lost in the woods, Daryl thanked God, or whoever was in charge, for it._

_Crumbs were all that was left on their plates when Carol stood up and gathered the dishes. "Are you ready for your cake?"_

_"Cake?" Daryl asked, trying to remember the last time he had ever had cake. Probably never._

_"Yeah, silly," Carol giggled. "Are you ready?"_

_"Uh, yeah."_

_Carol did a little dance and moved to the corner of the kitchen. She stood there for a couple minutes and fiddled with something. Daryl waited patiently, which was actually proving to be difficult, for Carol to come back with the cake._

_When she turned, Daryl was surprised to ser face illuminated by candlelight. The small, circular, slightly lopsided cake in her hands had ten glowing candles stuck in it. Carol moved slowly to the table and cautiously placed the cake down in front of him, all the while singing 'Happy Birthday' to him. Daryl flushed red and kept his eyes on the flickering flames in front of him._

_"Okay," Carol said after she finished her song. "Blow them out and make a wish."_

_Daryl thought for a moment, closed his eyes and with one breath, blew out all ten of the candles._

_"Now," Carol clapped her hands. "Before we dig in, how about you open your present?"_

_There was no way Daryl was going to object to that and he watched Carol leave the kitchen to return a few minutes later with a small, wrapped package in her hands. The wrapping paper was covered in multi colored balloons and 'Happy Birthday's all over it. He wanted to save the paper, so he could have something to always remember this day, but he knew if he were to bring it home it would be ruined._

_"Open it already!" Carol said with an impatient huff and took the seat next to him. Daryl shot her an annoyed look and moved to rip the paper to reveal his gift._

_"A book?" He asked, lifting the object in his hands and read the title. Adventure of Tom Sawyer._

_Carol's face fell. "If you don't like it, I can take it back and get you something else. I just say it and thought of you. I'm-" Daryl covered her hand with his._

_"Shut up," he said with a grin. "I like it." His school had its own library, but he was always too chicken shit to actually check out something. Now, he had a book of his own. Opening it, Daryl smiled at the slight resistance the flap had at being open for the first time._

_"Okay, good," Carol said with relief. "I've read it before, so I think you'll like it."_

_"I think I will, too." Daryl flipped through the pages and Carol watched him._

_"Okay," she stood up. "Time for cake!"_

_A couple hours later, Daryl decided that it was time to head home. Carol's parents would be home, soon, and he didn't want them to see him. After putting his boots on, he turned towards his friend and gave her a hug. It was the first hug he had ever given anyone and Carol must have known this because she gave a little squeak of surprise when he wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back._

_"Thank you," he said. "This was the best birthday I've ever had."_

_"You're welcome, Daryl. Just remember, though, that you'll have to do the same when it's my birthday." She winked._

_"Deal."_

_"Well, have a goodnight and I'll see you later."_

_"Okay." Daryl left Carol's house with a smile plastered on his face._

_Less than three weeks later, he was in the truck with Merle driving away from the town he and Carol lived in and with a sinking heart, he realized that his wish was never going to come true, now._

**~C-D~**

Everyone had gone their separate ways to various vehicles to call it a night except for Daryl and Carol. Daryl sat on the hood of the truck nearest the rail and Carol was still standing in the exact same spot she had been in when they returned without Sophia. Daryl could barely keep his eyes open and he knew that Carol had to be just as exhausted as him, especially with everything that had happened today.

"Carol, come here," he said, his voice sounding hoarse with misuse. Carol looked over her shoulder and in the moonlight, he could see them shining with unshed tears. Not having Sophia there was really tearing her up inside and the guilt festering inside Daryl grew.

"What is it, Daryl?" Carol asked when she stopped to stand in front of him. Thoughts of his guilt were forgotten, for now, and he felt his mouth go dry when he saw how beautiful Carol looked in the moonlight. The light was making her pale skin glow and her eyes looked silver. Kissing her was the only thing he could think of doing right now, but knew that probably wouldn't be a good thing. Not until Sophia was found.

"Y-You need to get some rest," Daryl finally managed to choke out. "I can still keep watch, if you want." Truth was, he was dead on his feet but he would keep a vigilant eye on the woods if Carol wanted to sleep.

"I can't," Carol sighed. "Not even if I wanted, too. My mind is going a million miles an hour."

"Well, at least, hop up here and get off your feet." Daryl patted the metal of the hood.

"All right." Carol braced herself on the hood and hefted herself up. Daryl wrapped a hand gently around her bicep for support and soon, she was sitting close to him. So close that their shoulders brushed and he was reminding of the night before at the nursing home. It seemed like so long ago, now, when really it been barely twenty-four hours.

"You should really try to get some rest, though. Tomorrow is goin' to be a long day." Daryl nudged her gently with his shoulder.

"I need something to get my mind of...Sophia. Like a book or something." Carol's mouth tipped up in a slight smile. "There's no way I'm going to read the God awful books Dale has, though. So, it looks like I'm going to be up for awhile."

An idea came to Daryl's mind and he hopped off the truck, leaving his crossbow beside Carol. "I'll be right back, all right?" Carol nodded and watched him leave with wide eyes.

Daryl used to the moonlight to pick his way through the tangle of vehicles that led to where his truck was still parked. Luckily, no one had decided to use the vehicle as a place to sleep and he opened to the door to grab his pack from the back. Climbing into the truck, he reached for the glove department and grabbed the small flashlight he kept there.

When he walked back to Carol, he dug around in his back and handed something to her. "Here," he said. "Maybe readin' this will help you get some sleep."

Carol took the book and squinted in the moonlight to try to read the title. Daryl clicked the flashlight on and handed it to her. "Adventures of Tom Sawyer?" She smiled. "I haven't read this in forever." She looked back at him, eyes shining with tears again, but Daryl suspected that they were of the happy kind. "Thank you, Daryl."

Daryl hopped back next to her and chewed his thumbnail. "No problem."

**~C-D~**

Carol side-eyed the man who was laid back on the windshield next to her with his hands behind his head and eyes on the sky above them. This man had showed her more kindness than her worthless husband hand in the fourteen years they had been married and the thing was...he didn't have to be. Daryl Dixon didn't owe her a _thing_.

When his gaze shifted to her, she quickly went back to the book in her hands. The tattered, well-read book that sparked something in her mind. Carol knew she had read the book before but she couldn't explain the familiarity she felt with this particular copy. It was like she had held it before and she knew that couldn't be true because this was the first time she had ever seen it before. Right?

"Is it helpin'?" Daryl's voice startled her.

"W-What?"

"The readin'. Is it gettin' your mind off..." He trailed off, probably not wanting to bring up Sophia.

Carol knew that nothing would ever get her lost daughter completely off her mind but reading about Tom Sawyer was helping and she felt her eyes start to droop silently. "Yeah," she answered. "It is."

"Good." Daryl looked back up at the sky. "And when you're ready to sleep, go ahead. I'll keep watch."

"Okay," Carol closed the book and slid forward enough so that she was leaning against the windshield, as well. "This won't break with both of us on it, right?" She turned her head to look at him.

He looked back at her with a smirk. "It shouldn't. Just don't move around too much, though." The flashlight, which she had set beside her after turning it off, rolled off the hood and crashed to the pavement below. Carol winced at the sound but didn't make a move to get it. Neither did Daryl.

"Sorry," she whispered and made sure that his book was secure in its spot underneath her leg.

"'s all right."

They fell into a comfortable silence, but Carol was determined to break it. At least, for a few more minutes. "Can I keep your book until I finish it?" Reading the book was making her think of her childhood and she enjoyed it.

"Course. Keep it as long as you like. Probably read it at least five times since the world went to shit, anyways."

"Wow, that many times, already? Most have have been pretty bored, huh?" She flipped lightly through the pages. "Maybe Sophia can read it when we find her." Carol made sure to say when because in her heart she knew that if anyone could find her little girl it was the man beside her. Maybe after she finished the book, Carol would figure out why it seemed familiar.

Curling on her side, she settled down to sleep, when something was practically shoved in her face. "Here." Daryl was handing him his pack. "It only has some of my clothes in so it should make a good pillow."

She took it with a smile. "Thank you." She placed it underneath her head and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"Night, Carol."

* * *

**First of all, I want to apologize if there is any editing mistakes. I didn't have the time to go over it like I wanted to. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this and thank you for taking the time to read! I, also, hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. The weather is going to be nice here, so I know I will! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Some of you have said that you didn't get an email for chapter ten, so if you didn't and you haven't read it yet, you'll want to do that before reading this chapter. So, is it just me but does the Caryl fandom seem blah, lately? Hardly any stories have been updated this past week and it's really upset to see. I know there is some drama with other shippers and I don't go on tumblr, so I don't know how bad but I think we should just ignore those people and continue to write for the couple we all love. Don't let a few people ruin it for you! Okay, enough of my mini rant. I hope you all enjoy this update! :)**

**Oh, and I like to thank FinntheHuman1697, who had been my rant buddy this past week. Don't worry we do more than just rant about things. We also have normal conversations and she helped me out with a small part in the end. So, thanks! :)**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

When Daryl woke up the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and there was a weight settled on his left side. Glancing down, he was surprised when his chin brushed against something soft and with a slight floral smell. It was Carol's hair. Carol had moved from facing away from him to practically laying her lithe body all over his. Daryl didn't mind, though. In fact, a certain part of his body was enjoying Carol's nearness immensely and he had to subtlety shift his hips away so she wouldn't wake up and feel it. He'd be mortified and she'd probably never talk to him again.

"Daryl..." Carol clutched his shirt and moaned in her sleep. Daryl felt his face heat up. Was she dreaming about him? "Sophia! Please, baby..." This time the words came out in a frightened whimper and her fingers began to dig into his chest. Daryl winced at the sharp pain, but didn't move to pry the fingers off.

Gently, Daryl started to shake Carol's shoulder, hoping that it would rouse her. "Carol," he said softly. "Carol, come on, now. You have to wake up. You're havin' a nightmare." He continued shaking her shoulder and her whimpers started to tamper off.

Carol's eyes began to slowly open and Daryl smiled when she looked up at him. Smiling had been something he'd never done much before, but now, he found that he could always smile at the woman currently in his arms. When they were kids, she'd always had a way to make him smile or laugh at something. Carol had been a ray of sunshine in his bleak, dark world.

For a second, it looked like Carol was going to smile back at him, but then seemed to suddenly realize where she was lying. On his chest. She quickly scrambled away from him and in her haste, didn't realize how close to the edge of the hood she was and would have toppled over to the hard pavement below if Daryl hadn't grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. Now, she was back to where she had started on his chest.

"Gotta be careful, now." Daryl chuckled and steadied Carol to sit beside him. "That would have been a nasty fall."

"Yeah," Carol craned her neck to look back over the edge. "It probably would have hurt a lot." Gripping his forearm, she squeezed. "Thanks for saving me, Daryl."

"Ain't nothin'" He shrugged and was startled when Carol lightly slapped his shoulder.

"Stop saying that, Daryl!" Carol glared. "When you save someone it '_ain't nothin'_' and I'm not just talking about saving someone from taking a tumble, either. I saw T-Dog earlier and if it hadn't been for you, he'd be dead."

Daryl knew he couldn't have just let T-Dog get ambushed by a bunch of walkers while he looked on, so he had done something and that something had been to throw an already dead body on top of him.

Carol's face turned even more serious. "I know people in our group don't try to get to know you and they're missing out. They're missing out on how wonderful of a man you are, Daryl." The last part was said so softly, Daryl had to lean forward to hear. "Daryl," a hand cupped his cheek and it startled him, but he didn't move. "How come I've been the lucky one to see this side of you?"

"Because," he started to say and Daryl knew that right then, he was going to tell Carol _everything._ "Twent-" The door to the RV slammed open, just then, and Glenn climbed down the stairs, oblivious to the couple who were just about to have a moment.

Carol's hand slid from his cheek, reluctantly and she climbed off the hood to greet the young man. Daryl hoped Glenn knew how lucky he was that Carol was still around because Daryl was about to show the Korean how much of a _not _good man he could be.

* * *

It was late morning by the time everyone else had gotten up and fed. Daryl was growing impatient as the sun began to grow steadily higher. He could have been out there by now looking for Sophia. However, Rick had told him that they were to all look for the little girl as a group. Daryl hadn't been happy out that, either. A group would slow him down and Sophia needed to be found as quickly as possible.

From his spot by the guardrail, Daryl watched Carol walk up to him while she put her bag full of everything over her shoulder.

"We're going to find her today, aren't we, Daryl?"

Daryl nodded sharply. "'specially if I got anythin' to say about it." Carol smiled warmly at the confidence behind his words.

The rest of the group finally joined them, with the exception of Dale and T-Dog, who was still suffering from the deep cut in his arm. Rick had changed back into his sheriff's uniform, with the hat and everything. He looked like every part of a man in charge.

"Is everyone ready?" He turned to ask. Daryl snorted impatiently and already started to climb over the rail. Carol followed close by and would have taken a tumble down the embankment if Daryl hadn't been there to grab her.

"You just keep saving me from taking a fall, don't you?" She asked with a smile and brushed off her knees from when she had fallen on them.

"Ain-" He started, but stopped when Carol shot him a glare. "Uh, you're welcome?" He said, instead and Carol nodded with a smile and patted his bare shoulder with affection.

"Okay, Daryl found a set of Sophia's footprints by the creek I left her by," Rick said, immediately taking charge once everyone had safely gone from the highway to the woods. "That's going to be where we'll start our search. Hopefully, she didn't go far and found someplace to go to for the night."

The group stayed close together with Rick and Daryl leading the way and Shane and Glenn bringing up the rear. Lori made Carl stay near her and refused to let him go up ahead with his father. They were on a mission and they couldn't allow for any distractions. Carol had been thankful for that. She wanted to find Sophia as soon as possible.

It didn't take them long to make to the creek and for Daryl to relocate the footprints again. "She went this way." He motioned to everyone once he stood up from his crouch. What he didn't say was that her footprints were spaced out, as if she had been running. Luckily, no other prints were following her, so at least he knew she hadn't been chased by a walker.

From the way the tracks veered all over the place, Daryl knew that the girl had been frightened as she ran and had no idea where to go. They continued to follow the tracks until the sun was directly overhead and sweat began to pour on all of their bodies. Carol looked physically and mentally exhausted as each minute ticked by with still no sign of her daughter.

Daryl wanted to say something to reassure her, but didn't know what. Maybe he could bring up that he'd been lost in the woods for nine days and had been just fine. Slowing his pace done, slightly, he allowed Carol to catch up with him. He was about to open his mouth to speak when the sound of ringing church bells echoed through the woods.

_ These damn interruptions!_ He thought furiously. However, that thought was quickly wiped away because _someone_ had to be ringing those bells, right? And that someone could very well be Sophia.

Everyone hesitated only a second before they took off in the direction of the bells. Daryl and Rick led the group as they ran, Carol not far behind. Daryl couldn't help but smirk. She had always been a fast runner and had beaten him in numerous races when they were kids.

When the reached the church they found, to all of their disappointments, that the bells were set on a timer and the place was empty. Carol had excused herself to go sit inside and Daryl, still angry with the empty discovery, followed her, if only to get away from everyone. He wasn't one for going to church or anything. JC had never done much for him, but Carol had always been religious and a few times had tried to get him to go to church with her. Of course, her parents would be there as well and Daryl had declined each time she'd asked.

He stayed to the back of the church while Carol walked right up to the statue of Jesus on the cross. Lori had slipped in a few minutes later and settled in the front pew to keep an eye on her friend. Daryl didn't like Lori much and the feelings were mutual, but he knew that the woman had always been friendly to Carol.

Lori and Daryl remained silent as Carol prayed to God for the safety of her child. Daryl couldn't hear what was being said, but when Lori turned to look at him and give him a soft smile, he wondered if Carol had mentioned him in her prayer.

Crossing his arms, Daryl stared at the ground after that. This was not how things were supposed to go. Sophia was supposed to have been found already and Carol should have been shedding happy tears instead of sad ones.

The door to the church creaked open and Glenn poked his head in. His glance went first to do the two women sitting on the first pew by the altar and then, it focused on Daryl by the wall. "Hey, Rick wants you outside so we can discuss what to do next."

Daryl grunted, pushed off the wall and followed the younger man. The rest of the group was huddled together and Daryl couldn't help but notice the angry way Shane stood, hands on hips and a scowl seemed to be permanently carved into his face. Rick greeted him once he got closer and Daryl returned it with a nod. He liked Rick. Shane was a different matter, though.

"All right, everyone," Rick got right down to business. "We all know that we _need_ to find this girl and since we'll be losing light in a few hours, Shane and I have decided that we need to split up." Daryl immediately liked the idea and knew that was how it should have been in the beginning.

"That way more ground can be covered," Rick continued. "Shane and I will go back to where we were when we heard the bells and Daryl," he made sure to make eye contact with him. "I want you to head back to the highway with Glenn, Carl and the women. Sophia may very well be waiting there for us."

Now, that was part of the plan that Daryl didn't agree with. He knew he'd be a better help if he was out with Shane and Rick. So, he opened his mouth to protest, but the doors to the church opened and Carol and Lori stepped out. Lori had a supportive arm wrapped around the other woman, who was sniffling quietly. Daryl's heart ached seeing Carol like this. When everyone went to the two women, Daryl stayed behind and so did Rick.

"Look, I know you're not happy with the decision." Daryl turned to give the man a narrowed eyed gaze. "But I think you need to stick around Carol, for now. Like I said earlier, I know that you two have been getting close and she's going to need someone to lean on until her daughter is found."

"Ain't that what your wife is for?" Daryl snapped, taking out his frustration on Rick even though, he knew that the former sheriff didn't deserve it.

Rick sighed. "I also need this time to talk with Shane. I don't of you've noticed, but for some reason he's been acting differently."

Daryl snorted. Of course, he had noticed and he knew why, too. Shane was pissed that Rick was back and Lori was no longer his fuck buddy. It didn't take a genius to figure that out, but Rick probably didn't know about the affair that had been going on since he came back from the supposed dead.

Daryl knew he should be feeling grateful for what Rick was asking of him. It meant that the man trusted him to get his wife and kid to safety and to take on a semi-leader role. Shane would have never given him the opportunity and with Rick, as well as Carol, Daryl was starting to feel like maybe he did belong in this group.

Just then, Carl came running up to his dad, practically jumping in place with excitement. "Dad, mom said I could go with you and Shane to look for Sophia if you said yes. So, can I? Please?" Daryl rolled his eyes at the boy and decided to go check on Carol before they made their trek back to the highway.

Carol spotted him approaching and broke away from Lori and Andrea to meet him halfway. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

"So, what's going on, now?"

"We're splittin' up. Shane, Rick and Carl are goin' to continue lookin' for and then, Rick wants me to take back everyone else to the highway."

Carol just nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. The tears remained in her eyes, though and she wasn't going to allow them to spill. "Okay."

"We'll still be lookin' for her. On our way back." Daryl hoped that he could reassure somehow but this was going on day two of her daughter being missing.

* * *

Sophia had laid huddled in the pantry for must of the morning, sleeping off and on. When she had finished the last tin of sardines, she decided that maybe she should check around the kitchen to see if there was any more food. There was no way her stomach was going to be satisfied with just one tin of sardines. She hoped there was more food in the cupboards so that she wouldn't have to leave the safety of the house to find anything.

She had decided that she'd stay until someone found her. They had to be out there looking for and it would be only a matter of time before they'd find this place and her.

* * *

Daryl and company had been walking through the woods now for an hour and he knew that they'd be coming up on the highway soon. Carol walked to his left after leaving Lori's side after the woman had snapped at her. Daryl nearly told the woman off for speaking to Carol that way. The woman had just lost her damn daughter and she had every right to glare at the man who had left her behind.

Lori liked to think that she had Rick's back on all of his decisions and yet, she was the first one to question any of the decisions he made. The rail thin woman was a walking contradiction. She claimed to support everything her husband did until he actually made any type of decision, then she was all over him. She pushed Shane away in every way possible and yet, Daryl had caught her glancing in the other man's direction that suggested she had feelings for him more than just friendship

Andrea, too, had seemed to also have a problem with the 'first lady' since she had been given a gun and no one else had been. They each had knives and Daryl had his crossbow, but a gun would have been the most effective if a walker were to surprise one of them.

Everyone was tense and if they didn't get back to the highway soon, they would all soon start to snap at one another. So, they walked along in silence.

However, that silence was soon shattered by the sound of a gunshot echoing through the trees.

* * *

**I'm really excited to start writing the next few chapters because something we've all been waiting for is going to be happening soon! I have it all planned out in my head and all I need to do is write it up! :) Oh, and I also want to apologize on the way I've been writing Lori. That's just how I see her. She was a good friend to Carol, but the way she treated Rick made me mad. And then the whole thing with Carl and Shane... One second she didn't want Carl to be around Shane, so when Shane tried to steer him away, she got mad at him... Ugh. Sorry, I got a little off track there. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the wait! I'll admit that this isn't my best work, but I wanted to get something out to you since it has been so long. I just finished school for the summer on Thursday, but now I have to work two jobs until June. I'll still write as much as I can and I will try my hardest to shorten the time between updates. You guys are the best and I love every single one of you! Now, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Lori was the first to react to the gunshot, eyes wide and a hand clutching the strap of her backpack. "Oh God, what was that?" The question had been rhetorical because they all knew what the sound had been and as far as they knew, Rick and Shane were the only ones out there that had a gun.

"Maybe they ran into a walker and had to put it down?" Glenn suggested with a shrug, not overly concerned.

"By just that _one_ shot? Rick knows that sound attract walkers. Why would he risk taking a shot for just one of them?" Her eyes had gone wide and frantic. Carol detached herself from Daryl's side and went to comfort the woman.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Carol soothed her friend. Daryl rolled his eyes at the two. Carol had just lost her daughter and now, she was comforting the woman who had spoken harshly to her just moments before. However, he knew Carol had a kind heart and would gladly reach out to comfort others.

"Carol, he has Carl with him. What if something bad has happened?" Lori clutched Carol hand tightly in her own.

"Figure we would have heard more gunshots if they were in trouble," Daryl grumbled. "Now, let's get a move on so we can make it back before nightfall." He ignored the glare Lori gave him and turned to begin walking. Glenn and Andrea followed him. Eventually, Lori and Carol did, as well. He was responsible for these people and the sooner they got back to the highway, the better.

"She's worried, you know?" Carol soft voice was suddenly at his side. "That is her son and husband out there."

"And boyfriend," Daryl smirked and from the corner of his eye he watched Carol's mouth tip up in a small smile before disappearing behind a stern mask.

"Daryl, that was mean!" She elbowed him.

"'s true," he mumbled. "Why you so happy anyways?" Daryl instantly regretted his words when guilt flashed across Carol's face.

"It's helping me not think about Sophia," she answered. "What kind of mother am I, Daryl? I should be acting worried sick, but here I am joking around."

"Hey," Daryl wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but didn't want to do with the others around. "It's okay. I'm sure that little girl of yours doesn't what you to be miserable."

Carol gave him a weak smile. "I'm trying to be strong. That's what she'd want, but the worry is eating me up inside and I hope Rick and Shane find something to let me know she's at least all right out there somewhere."

Daryl knew that he should be the one out there instead of the two former police officer's and Carl. He was the tracker. He had found Sophia's footprints and he was supposed to be the one to bring Carol back her daughter. He owed her that much for being his friend all those years ago.

"I'll look for her once we get everyone back to the highway."

"Let me come with," she pleaded softly and as much as Daryl wanted her to be with him, he knew that he'd do better on his own.

"Carol," he started, but stopped when she raised a hand.

"I understand, Daryl. I'll stay back at the highway and stick close to Lori. She'll be worried sick until Rick and Carl come back." Daryl nodded and they continued to walk along in silence once more.

However, that silence was soon broken when the sound of something galloping through the woods caught all of their attentions and Daryl turned to see a damn horse coming there way. On top of the horse sat a woman with shorthaired woman and a baseball bat slung across her back.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" The woman looked over at them, eyes searching. "It's Carl. He's been shot." Instantly Lori was racing towards the horse.

"I'm Lori. Take me to him." She was swung effortlessly on top of the horse.

"Whoa, we don't know this girl," Daryl stepped forward, hoping he was able to stop the two woman from galloping off. "You can't get on that horse!"

Lori ignored him and urged the younger woman to go. Before they turned to race off, the rider told them off the house where they were going to and how to get there. With slightly dumbstruck faces, they all watched Lori ride off with the mysterious stranger.

"Great," Daryl muttered. "Just what we need." One kid was missing and now, the other one had been shot. Couldn't they get a fucking break? Turning to Carol, Glenn and Andrea, he motioned for them to get move on.

"Hey, Short Round!" He called when he noticed that Glenn hadn't moved from his spot and was still staring in the direction the horse had gone. "Get your ass in gear!"

Glenn jerked out of his stupor and began following them.

* * *

Guilt still ate at Carol for the way she had been acting with Daryl, even though he had said it was okay. Sophia was still out there probably scared, hungry and wanting her mommy. Now, Carl was shot and she knew that Rick and Shane were most likely no longer looking for her daughter. Daryl had said he'd go out and continue the search once they got back to the highway and for that, she was grateful. She wanted to come with, but knew that she'd only get in his way and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Especially with Sophia's life on the line.

"We're back." Daryl announced when the guardrail of the highway came into view and as they got closer, they could see Dale standing on top of his RV. He waved when he saw the group but Carol saw the way his face fell and the look he gave her when he saw that there was no Sophia among them. He looked away from her, though and quickly descended the ladder when he saw Andrea.

"Everything okay?" He asked Andrea, effectively stopping her from shutting herself in the RV. "I heard a gunshot. Was that one of you?"

"You took my gun, remember?" She snapped and walked into the RV without another word. She was still smarting from what Dale had done at the CDC. Carol had watched the exchange and felt bad for the old man. He had really thought he was doing Andrea a favor by saving her from a fiery death. It was a shame that she hadn't seen it that way.

"Where's Lori?" He finally asked when he realized that Andrea wasn't going to be coming out of the RV anytime soon.

"Some girl just swooped in and took her," Glenn spoke up, still mystified but the young woman's earlier sudden appearance.

"Carl was shot," Carol clarified. "The young woman on the horse took Lori to her house where Carl is."

"Is this place nearby?" Dale asked and then pointed over to T-Dog, who was huddled against the RV with a blanket wrapped around him. "The cut on his arm has gotten infected and he needs some medical attention."

Daryl snorted from behind everyone. "Why didn't y'all say anythin' before." He began to walk over to his bike, which was still tied down on his truck, and grabbed something from one of the bags on the sides. "Got Merle's stash." He held up the bag full of pills. "Bound to be somethin' in here that'll help." It didn't take him long to pick out a bottle and hand to Dale.

"Glenn, I think you should take T-Dog's van and take him to this place you were talking about. The medicine will help some, but he's still going to need some care. Carol you should go with, too."

"No," Carol shook her head. "I'm staying here. Sophia is still out there."

"Fine." Dale nodded. "Looks like it's just you and T, Glenn. We'll make our way up there eventually."

Glenn looked like he was going to protest but then looked and saw how bad T-Dog really was. If he didn't get any more help soon, then he'd die.

When they left, Carol moved to Daryl's truck. Daryl was rummaging around on the bike and stopped to look at her when she approached. "Can I sit in your truck and read a bit?"

"'Course. I'm goin' to be leavin' here, soon." He hopped down from the back of the truck and made his way to her.

"But it's almost dark."

Daryl held up another flashlight, this one was bigger than the one in her hand. "I have this."

Carol placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful out there, Daryl. I don't know what I would do if..." She paused. "I can't lose you, too."

"You ain't goin' to lose me," he gripped her hand in his. "And you ain't goin' to lose that little girl, either cuz I'm goin' to bring her back to you."

She smiled and squeezed. "I know you will."

* * *

When Daryl passed the RV, his crossbow slung along his back and the flashlight lighting his way, he nearly jumped when the door to the RV slammed open and Andrea stomped out. She took on look at him and said, "Wherever you're going, I am, too." She had given him no choice in the matter and was now following him back into the woods.

"Dale is driving me crazy," Andrea said as a way of explanation as they picked carefully through the woods. "He's been acting like he's my dad and I can't take it! He forced me to leave the CDC and then, he took my gun."

"The old man cares for you." Daryl figured that Andrea wasn't going to shut up anytime soon and decided that he'd indulge her. They hadn't reached the creek bed and Sophia's footprints, yet, so he figured he'd allow her to get everything out she'd bottled in.

* * *

Carol was a fast reader and wasn't surprised to find herself finishing _Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ only an hour after Daryl had left to look for Sophia. Carol had seen Andrea join Daryl, but also had seen the way she had practically forced him to allow her to come and wasn't upset.

Thumbing through the last few blank pages of the book, she was surprised to see something written on the very last page. The handwriting looked very familiar and it read:

_ Daryl,_

_ Hope you enjoyed this book as much I did! Maybe one day we can go on grand adventures just like Tom and Huck! :)_

_ Love, Carol._

* * *

**I know that this chapter didn't follow the events of the show and that's how I planned it to be! I hope I didn't disappoint any of you with that. So, anyways, what did you all think of this chapter? Let me know!**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


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